I like Cleaned Coins and you should to thread

The craziest is to submit an obviously cleaned coin for authentication to a TPG and have them declare that it has been repaired! Was the repair to clean this old coin?

 

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Polished.

 

The point is, it's your opinion. Chances are you're not going to be the last collector to own that coin. It'll be around long after you're gone and the next collector might have liked it better the way it was.
That's why we say to leave them as they are and sell it if you're not happy with it. It's really a selfish attitude to say, "well after all, it's mine and I can do with it as I please".

 

This is a good point. The quarter shown above is the first attempt that I have made at coin "cleaning". I have not cleaned coins in the past, however, I do seek out and purchase cleaned coins. I purchase cleaned coins because appearance ranks higher on my priority list than does "originality". Of course, I would ultimately prefer aesthetically pleasing coins that are completely original, but unfortunately my financial situation prevents entry into that kind of market.

Like you said, it makes more sense to purchase coins that are already in a state that you appreciate. I have no plans to make coin cleaning a common practice, and/or to seek out coins with cleaning potential. I have had that quarter for about 4 years, and it has been stored in an airtite for most of that time. It did not look like that when I originally purchased it, most of the tarnishing has occurred during storage. While knowing that removing the tarnish has decreased the value of the coin, in this case I feel that the value drop is a worthwhile swap for having to sell and repurchase another coin.

This is also a good point, and it is actually the line of reasoning that motivates my personal "no cleaning" attitude towards collecting. Like you say, interpretation of appearance is a matter of opinion, there isn't necessarily a right or wrong answer. While not being right or wrong, once done, cleaning cannot be undone. It's the finality of this action that generally prevents me from doing it.


But with all that being said, here's the point that I am trying to make. With all cleaning and originality issues aside, I was making claims based on the appearance of the quarter before and after cleaning. Yes, interpretation of appearance is an opinion, but it seems nonsensical to me for anyone to say that the uncleaned example is more aesthetically pleasing than the cleaned example. It's basically a fact that the cleaned coin looks better! Line up 100 non-numismatic individuals and ask them which is nicer, I guarantee that the "opinion" will weight very heavily in the cleaned direction.

You can say that collectors would prefer the coin in the uncleaned picture, in general this is true. You can say that the coin in the uncleaned picture retains historic originality whereas the cleaned example does not, this is an opinion. But if you say that the uncleaned example is more aesthetically pleasing, then you are confusing your attitude towards cleaning with your interpretation of appearance.

Why do we wash our cars? refinish furniture? polish the silver service? It's because we prefer clean cars, don't want dingy furniture, and like shiny silver.

Why would a person clean a coin? Same reasons, we want them to be more visually appealing. It's the stigma that has developed towards cleaning that has altered coin collector's perception of appearance. Why do the "knowledgeable" coin collectors constantly have to re-iterate "don't clean coins"? It's because the general attitude toward cleaning is not immediately apparent to novice collectors, it's not something that can be independently, logically deduced.

 

I know that many old coins have been cleaned just because attitudes but some tend to exaggerate the value depreciation due to it. For instance, I posted this coin below wondering if it was worth more than what I pay and of course people claimed it had been cleaned at one time and that devalued it to close to melt which I respectfully disagree. I personally will buy a cleaned coin if the price is right and the coin still has good detail. Anyhow, if this coin has been cleaned how long do you think it has been since it doesn't appear someone tried to change the color or something. Why would they leave it like this? I don't really think a cleaning at some time labels this coin as as such a "problem" coin although the obverse has wear that is a little wierd. The coin below this one has been cleaned but wondering what they used in it. I have seen coins with similar markings. I also bought a braided hair large cent with nice details that had been cleaned I need to take a picture of it since I didn't think it looked as bad as I would have thought.

 

Of course sometimes you have to clean coins because stuff is covering the date or mintmark like this dime I found with this thick glob of goop on it:

 

But then nobody would be able to see it!

This is actually the main reason that I choose coins based almost solely on appearance, I like to display my collection so that guests can enjoy it. It's a type collection and non-coin people enjoy seeing coin designs and denominations that they never even knew existed. And, being mostly non-coin people, they also tend to appreciate coins that are not tarnished or otherwise dingy looking.

I'm actually thinking that, just prior to my purchase, the quarter may have been cleaned using a method similar to what I have just used. The tarnish spots were barely noticeable immediately after I cleaned the quarter. But now, just a week or so later and with the coin back in an airtite, the spots are starting to darken up again. If this keeps up, then things will eventually be back where they started. Will be interesting to see what happens.

 

That might need a toothbrush and crest.

 

white vinegar worked

I tried white vinegar and that got most off but still left some bits. Remind me of a VF Barber dime I took back. I would have kept it if it was a discounted a couple dollars but I think that it was priced using the grey sheet without a discount.

 

It just occurs to me that if you use white vinegar (dilute acetic acid) or most any other agent to "clean" a coin, it should be followed up by copious amounts of water to remove any other agents and then with a final distilled or deionized water rinse (and then an acetone rinse if you really want). Then as Doug sez, keep them away from more moisture and at least some oxygen.

 

I soaked the coin in distilled water after but maybe I need to rinse it again.

 

need Mylar flips

 

:welcome: Back

 

only a little bit.

 

:welcome: :thumb:

 

I certainly don't care if a coin has had dirt and grit removed from it, actually prefer it. Dirt certainly isn't apart of the coin, just something that accumulates from being handled. Even if the appearance has been altered, I sometimes don't care about that especially if the coin is old because attitudes change toward cleaning throughout the last 160 years. I have been told, this coin below was heavily cleaned but not recently. I am thinking I should clean it since the coin is an unattractive and uneven color. Any ideas?

 

If you carry a circuled coin in your pocket for a while, most of the dirt will be removed. This is also one of my favorite ways of getting great rarities into circulation for rediscovery of young budding coin collectors. You should just see the look on a kids face when they find a 1913 V Nickle in their change from the candy store.