I have been trying to learn how to detect a dipped coin, can anyone help me? Sorry if this was done before. And I learned how to check if a coin has been cleaned. Also does dipping make a coin have a non-cartwheel like luster, just a shine? Are these true?Thank you.
It's not easy to tell if a coin has been dipped. However, it is easy to tell if a coin has been over-dipped. Dipping will remove luster. It all depends on if the person doing it knows what they are doing. If the coin is left in too long, even by seconds, it will eat away luster and give the surface a washed out appearance.
Agree strongly with Greg. If one takes a MS coin that has some ugly toning, the luster is still apparent most of the time to the naked eye. If the coin is overdipped, you will see MS details, and no mint luster--those coins are very common on Ebay, where problem or ugly coins are dipped. As a result, they no longer have the MS luster from over dipping--the look is flat and lifeless, but with strong details on the devices.
Classic overdipped look. Not my coin, but using it as an example. Nice details on the devices, but a flat, lifeless look.
If the coin is raw, a good indicator is to look at the edges. This is especially good to check for dipped copper. a non-dipped coin will rarely be bright on the edges since even if the coin was properly handled, there were probably fingers that touched the edges. To expand on the topic though. Unless the coin is overdipped (which is just plain ugly) there really is nothing wrong with a properly dipped coin, if you you prefer bright coins. If natural toning is more your thing, then you are probably staying away from these bright coins anyway.
Here's another example of two coins--one that the TPG even recognized as overdipped, and a nice, typical MS 63 Morgan: SEGS slabbed it even as "over dipped." Consider that a "MS details" coin, as it has a very flat look. On the other hand, the MS 63 Morgan still has that "alive" look to the surfaces, and the fields are sparkling, as opposed to being washed out. Both have nice MS details, and would have been fairly equal looking coins, if not for the over dipping
Actually yes, there is a very easy way to know if a coin has been dipped, at least with most of them. The key word in that statement is know, because you can know something but not be able to prove it. All it takes is a little common sense. All coins begin to tone the instant they pop off the dies, every single one of them. That is a cold hard fact. So if you are looking at a coin that is say over 50 years old and that coin shows no signs of toning, then it is about a 99% probability that that coin has been dipped. The answer to your question is no. But the answer is no because of the way you worded the question. I'll explain. If a coin is dipped properly then no the dipping does not destroy the luster. But if a coin is dipped improperly, then yes it does destroy the luster. But there will not be any shine either. An improperly dipped coin will have a flat, dull and lifeless look to it.
Good tips Mike! I would also like to add that in my opinion, "conservation" is just a fancy word for dipping. If the conservation was done correctly. I also have the opinion that any silver coin that is over a century old and is blast white, has been dipped at some point. Which, like Mike mentioned, is acceptable and a common practice throughout the years. xGAJx, take a look at a couple threads I started where i actually show some before and after with dipping. You will see the overall improvement and how the luster looks: http://www.cointalk.com/t140858/ http://www.cointalk.com/t205567/
It also depends on the solution you're dipping the coin in. Some of the newer dipping solutions are too acidic, removing any and all luster from the coin's surfaces. Some of the older solutions (from like the 50s/60s) are more balanced, and will only remove a thin layer of toning that may have developed on the coin's surfaces, and won't impair or subdue luster. This is why vintage, unopened bottles of coin-dipping solution sell for upwards of a grand.
Some people prefer white coins over toned coins... And if a bad dip destroys a coin's luster, it can have a negative impact on its value.
Two reasons - 1 because they think it makes the coin look better. 2 because it often can greatly increase the value. I've seen dipped coins increase in value by a factor of 5 to 10 times what they were before they were dipped. But by the same token I have seen coins lose 80% of their value after they were dipped. And it's always a crap shoot because you never know which way it's gonna go until after you have done it. You want to talking about gambling, dipping a coin can be an ultimate gamble. There was a well known dealer once who took an ugly Morgan, that was valued at $25,000 in its present ugly state. He dipped it, knowing full well he could turn the coin into a $5,000 coin. But he got lucky, and when sold that dipped Morgan brought him $125,000.
So as far as I understand, its used to clean up coins with ugly toning only, or is there other things it can do?Can it clean dirt?
Of course. Dipping removes a microscopic layer of metal from the coin. And since dirt is on top of the metal, if any metal is removed then the dirt is removed as well. All coin dips are acids.
Dirt is best treated with acetone. I believe the kind of dip the other guys are talking about removes toning, so it would remove some dirt, but not heavy deposits.
Not true at all John. Acetone will have little to no effect on dirt. If you want to remove dirt, plain old distilled water is your best bet.
Seems kind of silly to me, considering a good coin dipper will water down the coin dip to the level he feels is warranted. I have never used full strength dip on a coin unless it was simply a hopeless mess and I was trying to save it from corrosive destruction.
It works best on PVC residue. And it will remove light oil residue from your fingers & hands. But that's about it really.
