An Argument In Support Of Cleaning Coins

Yes Spock, they removed what they could and it probably is in a portion of the coin on the reverse. Assuming further removal would damage coin. I will let you know if it grows. I assume it is stable. Curious what NCS did to remove as they definitely darkened the reverse of this coin. Corrossion or corroded I don't know? You guys tell me. I think corrosion as it may have grown without removal.

 

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This is an excellent point Vess1 and I personally agree 100%. Many believe all old coins have been cleaned at some point, some lightly some moderately and some harshly. My 1914 D was sent to NCS and they screwed it up with conservation revealing harilines. Now I am trying to tone it as the previos toning totally hid it. How many toned coins have hairlines and such that we can't see? I often wonder how in the world were these coins preserved, that are currently in high grade condition, one hundred to two hundred + years later?

 

I am new here & apolgise if I am in the wrong forum..........I have a "small" large cent dated 1852 that is heavily corroded---it is quite clear there is an uncirc. coin beneath the aggregate --all the features are evident....any suggestions as to how to do so?

 

How about this for a scenario? I collect circulated coins, and I have made it a practice to allow them to soak for a period of time in alcohol and air dry to remove to finger oils and residues accumulated from circulation, then employ a microfiber cloth to place the coin in a folder or airtite. I don't want my coins to have fingerprints permanantly etched on their surface. Is this bad for the coin? Does it lower it's value? Or is it a sound process to help preserve the coin from aging?

 

I sent you a PM so check your box.

Ribbit

 

BAH, HUMBUG. You could clean coins with battery acid and the price would go up to cover some of the costs.
1. The cost of whoever's battery you took the acid from
2. The cost of the container the acid and coin were in
3. the time of The Antique Roadshow Police for ruining an old thing
4. You expected more?????? :goofer:

 

Regardless of what any one says, coin magazine reports and/or articles, this or other web sites, etc. this is my opinion. Since I go to about 2 to 4 coin shows a Month, visit coin stores in the area, I find one thing in common. If a coin is cleaned and is noticable, the prices are lower. Not sometimes, not occationally, almost always lower if cleaned. At some of these coin shows I've seen coins full of crud and no one would think of cleaning them. If they did, the prices would drop considerably.
This is one reason I sometimes search for cleaned coins due to the ability to haggle the prices down even lower. Maybe in some areas or some instances some people have attempted to sell a cleaned coin for more than an original looking one but just not around me.
When anyone even mentions cleaning coins I usually try to tell them to watch that TV show The Antique Road Show. I really love it when they tell someone that if you hadn't of cleaned this it would have been worth a fortune.
I've spent many hours experimenting on practically valueless coins for cleaning as experimentations but to clean a valuable coin? Just got to hand it to those people on that TV show.

 

I've got a few of those hideous black coins. What do you use to remove that stuff with the least amount of damage?

 

In this youtube video the guy puts a tarnished coin in a bowl with hot water, aluminum foil, baking soda, and salt. No rubbing at all. Looks like a decent way to clean up those nasty black silver coins that are not valuable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp62AvR7kFM

 

Wow...digging up the graves?

I would rather have a nasty, black coin than to use this extremely destructive process. My advice to collectors: DO NOT DO THIS TO YOUR COINS!

 

I agree if the coin has value beyond silver value. I thought I'd test it out on this Merc dime. It has lots of detail but is horrible to look at.


I'll post the results later.

 

OK...I let it soak for 15 minutes...it seemed to have stopped doing anything...