I'm wondering if some of the lower grades designated by TPGs already factor in possible cleaning damage. It seems that many worn out, circulated coins were likely cleaned; but, perhaps the circulation wear masks most cleaning jobs, so it would be a futile effort to distinguish the two, save for the harshest of cleanings. I bet most of the VG and below, and even many up to VF grade coins, have a good deal of cleaning done to them (at any time since their inception, such as the random VG 9 slabbed coin below). Pic from the 'net:
I bet if you send it to pcgs, it would come back cleaned and if not, shame on them too .. Should say something about an altered surface, I think ..
Yes, they have a bit of leniency on the key dates if not drastic, along with minor rim contusion and scratches
One more chime...coin does not look cleaned. If it were cleaned recently, the black dirt would not be on the leg! Looks VG-10+ at the minimum. I have heard that SL 25c coins loose points for weak dates.
Maybe it's just me but I'd think that many of the very low grade slabbed coins are cleaned, but unless it's obvious, the graders don't seem to label it as such. And, maybe it's only for the recent cleanings, since they'd be more obvious, that a "Cleaned" label would be given. For instance, if a cleaning was done 100 years ago by someone who wanted a coin to "look shiny", and the coin ended up in circulation in which circ. wear masked the cleaning, I bet that the coin would come back without any "Cleaning" designation.
There are such things as low grade, problem free coins. The quarter pictured seems to be one such coin, as far as I can tell. The date is a big factor in the grade of lower grade Type 1 and 2 SLQs, so VG seems right. If there is a detectable cleaning that is considered "market acceptable," the TPGs will "silently net grade" it. This could be an MS63 being called a 62 or 62+ for being dipped almost one time too many, or a VF20 being called F15 for having an apparent old cleaning that while detectable, isn't heinous enough to earn a body bag.
I agree, I think there is such a thing as market acceptable cleaning. For instance, soaking in acetone and distilled water is cleaning but mostly everyone here considers it market acceptable. Personally, I don't think that coin screams cleaned because of the color and there is no noticeable marks. I would also grade a coin a little lower if the date is weak.
