Ok I got a few interesting ones for you. The first one is a 2002 D penny. I have not cleaned it yet, but it looks like its bronze! Is this possible??? The second its a penny that I got off ebay. It looks like its either extremely flattened or it was minted onto a foriegn planchet. Any ideas of how to tell. And dont worry I will put pics up soon.
You haven't cleaned it 'YET'?!? don't clean it, don't clean it, don't clean it. You'll cut the value in half in under a minute.
I don't get the whole preoccupation with cleaning issues. When I pull a dirty coin out of circulation I clean it with a little soap and water then dab it dry. I don't understand why people would prefer a coin with a bunch of dirt and grime stuck to it. I want my coins to be a clean as possible, I can better enjoy looking at them in that state. Now, if by "cleaning" you mean stripping off the tarnish, then thats a different story.
Sorry but when a Newbie with 5 posts on here (that is to say a newbie on this board, not a newbie coin collector) says something about cleaning coins, i don't always give them the benefit of doubt that they will be good numismatics and just use soap and some H2O. My simple preoccupation has to do with seeing so many coins scratched and damaged by cleaning - didn't mean to jump down your throat but i'm sure you understand.
I don't mind the skepticism, I would feel the same way. I soak the coin (usually pennies) in water with a little dish soap. I then use a soft bristle toothbrush to lightly brush the surface of the coin. I rinse the coin through 2 containers of distilled water then dab it dry with a microfiber towel. I make sure that it completely dries by leaving it out overnight then place it in a flip. I am not going to claim to be an extremely knowledgeable lifelong numismatist. But, I have been collecting for a while and have come to notice that people seem a little preoccupied with the idea of cleaning in any way, shape, or form. I theorize that the issue started with the possibility of people chemically stripping the tarnish or patina off of coins. I can certainly understand why people would take issue with this, or at least consider these coins less desirable. But the general idea has carried over to "any" type of coin cleaning. I have met people that actually take care to ensure that clumps of greasy dirt do not fall off of their coins. "It's worth more uncleaned" is what they say. This is an aspect of numismatics that I tend to question. Does anyone even take the time anymore to question why dirt on a coin is desirable? Should we not desire clean coins? (with respect to dirt) I don't know about you, but I want to be able to observe all of the detail that my coins have to offer. When people start to look at a coin and appreciate having a clump of dirt on it, then this is a principle that has gone a little haywire. Just my opinion.
Hi, Even the act of drying a coin with a paper towel can leave marks on the coin. Most collectors like coins to be in the condition that they were found. Often evidence of cleaning of any kind is a reason to diminish the value of a coin. They are best left alone unless they were removed from the ground as a result of being found by a metal detector. This is just a friendly request to the original poster. Please stick to normal black text. If your text remains that bright, many people won't click on your threads because the text will be to tough for some to read. Thanks, Bill
Sorry Bill for the text color. Its just my fav. And thanks for the cleaning advoce to all, but could someone answer my original question about the coins in question.:thumb:
First thing would be to weigh it. 2.5 grams should be the proper weight. Cherd, I would much rather have a dirty coin than one full of hairlines from someone rubbing there fingers with soap and water and the dirt over the coin giving it hairline scratches
