Newbie seeking advice on cleaning

Hi all. I'm new here and a novice to the hobby. I collect mainly dollars and commemoratives right now and I'm trying to learn how to spot a cleaned coin. I know it's supposed to be obvious but, well it's not! Does this Morgan looke cleaned? I did give it an acetone bath and soft Q-Tip swab since it had some verdigris from an old PVC flip when I got it. You can see areas on the obverse which are lighter where the verdigris was. See the cheek and area above eye. I only spent 18 on it so not a big deal either way. I suspect it may have been cleaned at one time due to some darkening around the stars. But it does appear to have some redial "cartwheel" luster. Anyone care to venture grade? I'm thinking AU 58. Am I close?

 

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It looks like it had an older cleaning. I think it may come in at a lower grade due to the higher mintage numbers on the 1921's . Nice coin to learn on.

 

XF-45 To many bag marks for higher. Not enough luster from cleanings.

 

My heart bleeds when I see a messed with 1921-D Morgan. Every Morgan "mint mark set" needs one, because it's the only Denver Morgan.

Yes, it was cleaned and I doubt it would straight-grade at all.

 

Thanks everyone for the great info so far. What makes it obviously cleaned? Shadow around the devices? Lack of Luster?

 

Yes and yes.

 

Note to OP: Marks on an ABOUT UNCIRCULATED coin DO NOT lower its grade to XF. The quality of its luster does not either. All they do is affect the eye appeal & price of the AU coin which may then drop down below the price of an attractive, original XF.

 

+1. while the marks will affect the eye appeal of a circulated coin, and therefore the price, they wont affect the technical grade.

 

... for the ever-shrinking few still hung up on technical grading.

 

I've noticed that present day TPGS grading for problem coins HAS BECOME the old time "technical grading." At the least, it is so close who can tell it is not.

 

Then try submitting one .

 

Exactly!! We're on the same page again Kurt.

 

Spooky. Some people feel a need to resist change. I embrace it, because learning new things is my last line of defense against Alzheimer's.

 

I very rarely use grading services although I highly recommend them.

Now as for ...I can only hope you'll agree that if a knowledgeable numismatist such as yourself sees several hundred TPGS slabs OR MORE per week at shows or wherever, they can write an informed post dealing with TPGS grading practices. Yes? No?

 

Not even close to AU. Far too much wear. XF details, cleaned.

 

What should I have tipped me off the most? Seller claimed it to be AU and I compared it to online pics of AU examples but must have missed something. Any suggestions for sources of learning rudimentary grading? I don't want to be taken at the auction or LCS when I start obtaining more expensive coins. My LCS guy is not much of a talker so not much help in teaching. I like raw coins which compounds my problem. Slabs just seem to disconnect me from the history of the coin. Yes, I wear protective gloves!!

 

I agree learning new things is great, but being told that 2+2=3 and never equaled 4, or that eastasia is at war with Eurasia, wait there is no eastasia anymore, no there never was. Is LAME.

 

Here is a link to a site that may be of some help.http://www.pcgs.com/Photograde/

 

GREAT suggestion, plus the similar app for portable devices.