Should I Dip It......

@TJ1952

Leave the coin alone OR if you decide to use acetone, make darn sure there are no hairlines on the coin hiding under its "skin."

 

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It's back in the book. Not the best looking coin or book for that matter. Actually, it's rather embarrassing compaired to what I see here but I'm having fun.

 

I know the value of original, undoctored coins. Cleaning by NCS is still cleaning. Using the word "conserving" doesn't change that. NGC/NCS is in the business to make money and created this service to facilitate that, and at the same time maybe prevent random individuals from harming valuable coins by trying to preserve or enhance them. The very existence of a professional cleaning service sends signals throughout numismatics that cleaning is ok, at least if it's done by them. They absolutely do encourage people to clean their coins, if only passively. Many times in my shop a customer will tell me it's ok to clean coins, because NCS does it. I realize that some valuable coins of true historic significance have been "preserved". My problem is that there's a trickle down effect. In the last 30 years it's become more acceptable for people to think it's ok to clean coins...and that's a problem for our hobby, industry, and for our future. So when the question is "should I clean my coins", my answer is always no.

 

No one can protect the IGNORANT or their opinion from harming themselves.

You should be commended for saying "Don't clean your coins." Conservation professionals are not perfect, they screw up on occasion. Nevertheless, IMHO, they do a service and get paid for it. If a coin is cleaned and no one can tell....is it cleaned?

 

Seasoned collectors and dealers can usually tell. All of the NCS coins I've seen so far were pretty easy to spot as far as having been cleaned. Are there times when NCS can make an ugly (or already screwed up) coin more salable? Yes, definitely. They do perform a service, no doubt. But imho a coin that qualifies for NCS is the exception, rather than the rule.
So yes, if you clean a coin, you'll have a cleaned coin. Send it to NCS and you'll get back a cleaned coin. Crack it out of the slab and you still have a cleaned coin. Cleaned coins are considered damaged and are sold at a discount compared to original coins. This is commonly accepted in our hobby and is very basic knowledge. I feel like I'm stating the obvious, here. Cleaning coins should be discouraged within our hobby, since it virtually always leads to an inferior item of less value, rather than becoming an improved item that has more value. Calling me ignorant doesn't change this.

 

Take this pebble from my hand, Grasshopper...

 

Nah, if he wanted to call you ignorant, he would have called you ignorant.

 

I hope you can because that is an extremely rare achievement!

I my experience 95% of the other "seasoned" dealers/collectors cannot spot a professionally cleaned coin. Want proof, hang around the ANACS table when the graders are giving opinions to all the "seasoned" folks!

Furthermore, you have twisted what I said: If a "seasoned collector/dealer CANNOT TELL if a coin has been cleaned [properly conserved - that means no evidence of conservation] is it cleaned?

BTW, I clean virtually every coin I come across that will benefit from treatment. They (and those conserved and sent in by one of my "special" students) get past the TPGS's with a 99% rate of success! That's brag & fact.