Wish I would've kept all I found now. I used to just throw them out in the parking lot for others to find
What do you think is special about it? Looks like any other ordinary Cent. Just a slight Misaligned die strike. Nothing really major.
Maybe how clean it is. I dont pull out of rolls these come out of dirty filthy trucks. I dont clean them just only with my thumb and index finger
There are plenty of threads here about safely removing foreign substances using either acetone or xylene. Use your fingers to access the search function . . . not to clean your coins.
What part of "safely removing foreign substances" wasn't clear? When you rub a coin between your thumb and index finger, that's disrupting the value and finish. You've been here long enough to have seen some discussions about safely cleaning coins. A search will produce many more. The forum is a learning tool, if learning is something you're interested in.
Still learning also. That's why I ask. I have seen many things but the most thing I see about cleaning coins throughout stoogle is dont clean them. Then I see wipe them off. The i see dont put water on them. That one I'm thinking what could water possibly do to some of these horrid tokens that may be coins. So i guess that's what part
My apologies for the crummy photo. It's all I have with me on my phone and I thought it may help illustrate what the guys are trying to explain. The half eagle on the right appears to be an immaculate coin that should grade well. However when you look at the coin under a loupe, you can plainly see where somebody wiped across her face with their finger. Not a big deal because it is a common date coin. However the whole point is that the innocent action of a finger smear is there and will forever be there rendering the coin as a damaged piece. Hope that helps clear things up.
Cleaning can destroy a coin and render it worthless, or it can conserve a coin and enhance its appeal and value. Depends on how you define "cleaning". Don't do this unless you know the coin has no collector value. Not with a cloth, or a brush, or your fingers. Any foreign substances (visible or not) on the coin can act as abrasives when rubbed and create hairline scratches. (Same reason you wouldn't rub a handful of sand across the paint finish of a car.) Nothing. Your instincts are right on this point. Don't google. Search CoinTalk. Let us know what you learn about cleaning, and ask questions about anything that isn't clear.
In wiping a coin, the material used to wipe is not normally the problem, the problem is the grit that may be on the coin which gets scrubbed across it. I remember an old thread when @Insider first joined us where he took an immaculately clean Silver Eagle and SCRUBBED on it with a q-tip and didn't leave any marks. Concerning solvents, they are fine as long as they don't interact with the material of the coin (hydrochloric acid for example) but they should be pure, the triumvirate usually mentioned are distilled water, acetone and xylene...rinse, soak, don't wipe.
Yes and thank you. Now does the chemicals he mentioned affect the finish or luster? Good stuff thanks a lot. Cant learn it all but can be more educated on it
I assume you're referring to the earlier mention of acetone and xylene. No, they don't react chemically with the metal in a coin. All they do is dissolve crud (mostly organic matter) from the surface of the coin. Luster is not affected. Not to be confused with the products used to remove tarnish from silver coins. If used improperly, they'll strip the luster off a coin. Best to avoid those things entirely, at least until you've accumulated a lot of knowledge about what you're doing.
