Cleaning Coins

Yes it would damage the coin - a pencil eraser cleaning leaves small hairlines. This will reduce the nicest gem to BBG status.

Dipping is the way to go, but you should practice first and remember overdipping destroys mint luster. Dipped circ coins need to be retoned and there are some products on the market which remedy this.

I do not consider dipping coin doctoring but merely a conservation process. I have dipped coins with major PVC damage and then submitted to a major TPG getting a MS65 grade. If done correctly, dipped coins can result in an upgrade but some coins are better off not being dipped. It requires experience and a good grading skillset. Sometimes dipping removes toning which masks contact marks / hairlines - each situation is unique.

 

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So says the coin doctors that conserve coins by cleaning them

 

Is that safe?

 

the year is 2015 and we are discussing acceptable doctored coins. i can already see it Grandpa keep fanning the flames and using such words pretty soon you will find the genie wont go back int he bottle

 

I have a kook that I bought from auction and it has some kind of dirt on it. Can I open it up and wipe the spot with a q-tip? Does this action consider cleaning?

 

I am thinking the only time cleaning hurts you is when the TPG puts "cleaned" on the slab ?

What you display in your collection is up to you. Some people even use fake coins to fill a folder. Some make them sparkle. So this is only involved in the commercial aspect of the hobby/business.

IMHO

 

This is a non-graded 2008 coin. If I were to sell it 20/30 years from now will the price be equal or less than the market price if I wipe the area clean (the size of a '.' )? I hate to find the coin worth $$$ but because I wiped it and it is worth $. But then since the kook was shipped from the mint with capsule, the fact that it has some dirt on it means the original seller must had opened it and the price will never be $$$?

 

naaaa... familiarity breeds contempt!