Thank you for all your replies @tibor As you've indicated that most of my coins have been cleaned at some point, how can you tell?
Welcome to Coin Talk. The dirt remaining around the stars, the edges of the devices, in between the letters, etc.. Especially when compared to how clean the Eagle and Liberty's face looks. The dullness of the entire coin. Others can add to this. If you're getting serious about collecting, the first thing you should do is buy a copy of the RedBook. The official title is "A Guidebook of United States Coins" by R.S. Yeoman Whitman Publishing.
What VAM is it?…with the parallel arrow feather it is a Reverse of 78, but there are multitudinous VAMs associated with this first year of issue...Spark
Vamworld is here for this year. There's a lot but you can narrow it down. It's not any of the 8 tail feather varieties and it's not any of the 7 over 8 tail feathers either. http://ec2-13-58-222-16.us-east-2.compute.amazonaws.com/wiki/1878-P_VAMs I'd go through it for what I can but getting ready to leave for work and don't have time now.
Welcome to CT! I am new as well and love collecting Morgans. While cleaning is not always easy to recognize, this one is pretty clear to me. You can tell by all the hairline scratches. I grade it XF.
...in my view, yes...but only if it was done properly, not over-dipped, and before it was cleaned in any way previously...Spark
Why wasn't the dirt removed if it was cleaned? Doesn't seem like a very good job. The dirt l see makes me think it wasn't. So explain that.
It's a cleaning in the sense of an abrasive ( note all the scratches) and likely a jewelery wipe afterwards which won't get the nooks and crannies that a dip would get into. To me it's an old cleaning but it's seen a harsh cleaning no doubt about it.
NO. In my opinion, no cleaning allowed with the exception of ancients and the necessary removal of crud to determine what lies beneath. For moderns, removal of crud, mud and attached debris is acceptable as long as the "cleaning" does not alter the coin by removing any of its surface. Dipping removes a thin layer from the surface of coins and thereby modifies the appearance depending upon the coin material.
As I have indicated in previous posts, the only "cleaning" I have done was to apply Nic-a-Date to a number of no date buffalo's because I was nosey.
Okay I see the scratches on the obverse, especially on the chin. But I also see the clean area around the two stars to the right of the year, which puzzles me. Anyway, I don't like the coin's look.
The answer you are seeking is: the coin may need two or three dips to completely remove the tarnish buildup.
I wouldn't dip it in anything but maybe a slab. I'm a morgan man and our local numismatist says no no no cleaning. Good luck