Is there a simple way to tell if your coins have been cleaned ? I have some Morgans I think may have been cleaned . WOW ! where have I been there are some beautiful coins on here thanks everyone .
There are many ways to clean a coin so there will be different appearences for each . No luster on a coin with no wear is a giveaway , if it has a dull uniform look it could have been over dipped in which case the flow lines that cause luster have been eaten away by the acid . A dull grainy coin could have been cleaned with an abrasive such as baking soda . Scratches on a coin are from wiping off whatever the person used to clean a coin . Go to ha.com and look for coins that say improperly cleaned , seeing cleaned coins is the best way to learn . rzage
Look at this Barber half , a really nice coin if it wasn't harshly cleaned , look at the reverse , you can see the many scratches . Also notice it has hardly any luster left , this was probably from leaving it in the dip too long , or dipping it too many times . http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=29072&Lot_No=22496#photo rzage
I had a saint come back from PCGS as cleaned. I sure can't tell -- looks like all the other ones I have.
It all depends on how or when a coin may have been cleaned. If done a long time ago, much of the cleaning may be long gone. If just a slight dip, it may not be noticable at all. If a coin is fairly new and slightly cleaned, that too may not be detectable. Many cleaned coins are really noticable by the fact that they show wear and are as shinning as a new coin. Just takes a practice in examining and then too, may not be accurate.
Welcome, Clarence ! I hope you enjoy the board. A follow-up to your question is "How do I become skilled in detecting cleaned coins ?" Look at lots and lots and lots of coins. Be sure some of them are high-grade, even if they're beyond your current price range. Be sure to look at lots of raw coins in the US series. Many are cleaned. After a while, you'll notice a big difference in lustre. Some have fabulous cartwheel, others not, some are in between. Some will have super-fine scratches. Dull lustre and / or fine scratches suggest cleaning. There are other indicators as well. Buy some books ! I'll suggest a few when a get home and see which ones discuss this.
The best way, by far, to become good at detecting cleaned coins is to find someone who is knowledgeable who can sit down with you face to face and review coins that have been cleaned. They can tell and show you what to look for and how to look for it. Viewing images and reading books can help. But neither compares to being able to tilt and rotate a coin under good light and having someone teach you the ropes, in person. Having taught the advanced grading class twice at the ANA summer seminar in Colorado springs, I can tell you, that with the proper guidance, you can learn more in 10 minutes than you can learn in 10 years without it.
