Did I learn a newbie lesson?

I bought this coin from a local dealer that I would like to trust. This was one of the first coins I got off him and he wasn't there when I bought it but it looked good. Actually looked great to the naked eye and under magnification(no sure what power) it still looked good.

Today I took a higher resolution photo and when full screen on the computer it didn't look so hot. Is it cleaned or is it something else? The dealer is well aware I don't want cleaned coins and when he's present he really seems to steer me in the right direction. He acknowledges he has cleaned coins and certain customers like them that way but he makes a point to show me which ones are cleaned.

Again, he wasn't there when I bought this so I only blame myself but it really is beautiful to the naked eye and none of the "scratch" marks are seen even with my magnifying glass.

So, is it cleaned? Thanks, just trying to learn.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Might be the light but if I saw this I would say it seems to have been cleaned. Just my opinion though, no expert here.

 

Looks cleaned by the pictures provided.

 

Also, newbie lesson learned or not, always remember that not all people are honest, including people who buy and sell things. I learned from a coin dealer that the knowledge you have coming into the shop will help better your items bought in that shop. I am not saying do not trust your dealer, or do not trust anyone, but learning about what you dont want is just as important as learning about what you do want.

 

It looks to have been fairly harshly cleaned. Beyond the scratches, the telltale sign is around the lettering on the obverse.

On the other hand, your dealer will likely give you some credit on the coin if he agrees with your assessment.

 

Looks abrasively cleaned to me -- and not gently.

 

This........print the picture out and take it into the shop.

 

From the pictures given it looks to have those dreaded hairline scratches that are results of cleaning. However i have noticed that sometimes the light from photographing the coins produces that effect. If you are not one hundred percent confident in your opinion i would try to get a second opinion.

 

I also believe the coin to be cleaned based on the pictures provided. My guess is that the dealer will value your business and give you store credit / refund versus losing you as a customer over one coin (at least I hope he does).
I look forward to hearing how it turns out.

 

Or email the photo to him (not a link from here)

 

Yes it was cleaned. It's a problem coin. Did the price you paid reflect that?

 

Looks abrasive cleaned to me the hairline scratches and the color the giveaways

 

If the lines are incluse, then it is cleaning. I can't tell from the photos, but if you have it in hand, do the scratches go close up to the devices ( eagle, date, lettering) BUT not over the device ( raised lines), think die polish lines instead. It is fairly certain it had a long ago cleaning, but not sure if it deserves the word 'harsh', may be part die polish lines. I just can't see not in hand.

 

As far as color, notice that the album edge showing in the photos appear to be 2 different colors, one more bluish and one more greenish , so color balance is off in one photo or the other. Secondly ( and probably most know this) the coin is 88% copper and 12% nickel, and shows much lighter than the 95% copper cents.

 

Looks cleaned. And it looks like the eagle has shed a tear over this travesty.

 

I paid $48 so probably a relatively inexpensive learning experience. I'll probably replace it with a graded one since I want my type set problem free. Still amazed that I can't see those scratches with a magnifying lens. Will check it out with a loop later.

 

For a coin that I'd call XF DETAILS that price is probably fair.
But it should have been a Red Flag that something was wrong.

 

He had it listed as VF so I it didn't seem too much of a low ball price to raise a flag to me. The color is probably off because it's just a flip up flash on a digital rebel camera and I've been fighting the white balance taking good pics of the coins. No photo expert here. The background is the green color of Coin World Premier Slab insert so you have a color reference. I like to keep my raws in the set in these holders to stack nicely with my graded coins.

At lunch I'll look with a 10x loop and maybe try different lighting but I don't think I'm going to like the results............live and learn.

Between all the cleaned stuff and counterfeit stuff I read about I'm beginning to question this hobby choice. I liked being a naive 12yr old collector better.