Should modern silver coins be submitted for restoration/conservation?

I’ve been working with a couple of dealers because I’d like to get some of my rarer modern silver coins graded. One of them recommended using the PCGS restoration service even though my coins do not have any noticeable spots or undesirable toning. He said the process will stabilize the coin and remove any dust as well as help prevent spotting/toning. I talked to another dealer and he said that submitting the coins for restoration would be foolish. You would only submit them for restoration after they develop any issues.
I wanted to see what PCGS had to say, so contacted their customer support. The first representative said that they most like would not restore a coin if it didn’t have any issues with it. I called them again later and spoke to a different representative. This one said that they can normally find something (e.g. dust) and will restore the coin even though there are not any major issues.
So, I’m not sure what to do at this point. These are fairly rare coins and I’d like to preserve them the best way possible. I read the PCGS guarantee and it does not cover white spots. Does anyone have any experience with this or advice? I’m not sure what to do at this point.

 

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I never heard of "dust" on a coin. Wipe it off . And what rare coins are these?

 

Some of the rarer modern bullion coins, pandas, unicorns, libertads, etc.

 

If you see nothing on the coin to indicate a problem, put them in a solid plastic holder, and inspect every 6mo. - year , depending on your environmental problems. If you want to add a cheap backup, put the hard plastic holder into a small food quality zip lock bag and seal it. Problems such as spotting, toning, corrosion do not just appear overnight, and they are not alive so unless environmental gases or solutions get to them, they may not change in your life time, but you do have to check occasionally as plastic can develop cracks with handling., heat , and age.

I would not send a coin to be 'conserved' , sell it and move on to a better one, if it comes to that.

 

I'd leave them be too . Why pay money when the coins are fine . Even if they are toned ( unless they are that spotted splotchy
toning ) I'd leave them be . The only thing I'd add is to use some desiccants to keep where you store them dry .

 

If you have dusty coins at a discount, sell 'em to me -- I have a big can of compressed air used for cleaning computer parts .

 

One dealer said PCGS uses electrolysis, which stabilizes the coins. I've had bad experiences with spots in the past on my silver eagles and would hate for them to appear on some of my rarer coins. But again, I don't see any issues with these coins.

 

I do have some silica gel packets that I've been keeping with the coins to help keep them dry. The coins are in plastic capsules and I've kept them in Ziploc bags with silica gel packets.

 

Never use compressed air.. there is liquid in it. Just blow em off with a teardrop syringe bulb for cleaning baby's noses.. those work like a charm.

 

When you seal up coins and silica gel together, where do you think the moisture goes? It doesn't go anywhere, it's still in the Ziploc bag, adsorbed by the gel. Eventually, if the system is not airtight, the gel will get "full," and no more moisture will be collected. Then you have to process the gel to restore its function.

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What liquid is in compressed air?

 

Compressed air is a liquid that evaporates as it comes out of the can and there is condensation still in the air that is bad for coins. If not held at the right angle, you will get liquid splurting out as well. just not a good idea.

 

Water , just like in our air that eventually turns to rain .

 

Just remember that silica gel packs get full . I use the metal ones that have the clear window where you can see if they're pink or blue . Then if they're pink I put them in the oven at 325 degrees for a few hours till they're blue again .

 

Water doesn't "turn" to rain. Rain (droplets) are condensed water vapor, which is a gas. Furthermore, compressed air is not a liquid; you may be thinking about the propellant, but for desiccant usage, that's usually pressurized carbon dioxide, another gas, and a normal component of the atmosphere.

 

You were talking about cleaning off dusty coins with the compressed air. I don't know where your going with the "for desiccant usage" thing, but shake up the can and hear that sploshing around liquid sound? that sprays out and there is condensation in the air that can get on the coin when attempting to clean it. I thought it was widely known that compressed air is a no-no.

 

You still haven't told me what kind of "dust" is on them

OK, Plan 2. Hold a vacuum cleaner tube half an inch above the coins. I am trying to save you "conservation" fees.

 

Whatever you decide to do for storing them be sure to take them out every so often and hold them so they won't feel neglected or forgotten.

 

I voted no because there are no absolute guarantees the restoration/conservation will work long term, and it just adds more expense. IMO, better just to store it properly. I am also not in favor of sending modern bullion for grading either. Again, it just adds more expense to the coin and there is no guarantee it will grade a 70, which is what you will need to score a profit. The TPGs are inconsistent in their grading of 69s and 70s as well.

 

I voted yes.
Why not? If you are going to collect modern silver, you better do everything possible to avoid spots. I don't collect modern silver anymore because those nasty spots can destroy their value. Good luck, you are going to need it if you've invested in fancy silver coins.

 

If you want to burn your money there are easier ways than sending off coins needlessly for conservation. Heck, just get some free matches.