Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2828561, member: 19463&quot;]There is no &#039;on/off&#039; in this matter.&nbsp; To me the photo is consistent with harsh scrubbing and chemical cleaning that has become so popular these days.&nbsp; Certainly such abuse could be used to mask signs of casting or other evils.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I do think it is a shame that we have so many poorly cleaned coins but skillful processing of good material costs a lot more than throwing junk in an acid bath.&nbsp; We buy such coins and encourage the sellers to offer up more and more. I can&#039;t say I see any reason to doubt the authenticity of the Miletos but I can&#039;t see any reason to buy it either.&nbsp; The Ptolemy that started this thread may look better when it tones down but the metal/detail lost to bulk scrubbing does not grow back. </p><p><br /></p><p>There have been some huge finds of some coin types that get sorted into quality levels and sold in bulk.&nbsp; The Miletos has been available in quantity for decades now.&nbsp; There are a several others in the category (watch the end of Frank Robinson&#039;s sale lists for the current flavors).&nbsp; I should not have said not to buy this coin.&nbsp; I should have said don&#039;t pay $50 for a $5 one.&nbsp; Neither will be easy to resell since there are more than there are people who want them so pick one you plan to live with.&nbsp; The centering on this one is better than many so it is not the worst.&nbsp; Would giving these out to scouts working on a coin merit badge be a good idea?&nbsp; Anything that spreads the word about the hobby might be worth considering.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in