Can a coin have been cleaned, and still be appealing? please see this 1825 Quarter

I know there is great aversion toward cleaned coins, and i do share that opinion by and large. However, i think there is cleaning, and then there is cleaning.

This is one coin which i bought knowing that it had been cleaned (Bowers & Merena sale 1990), but the overall appearance of the coin was still quite pleasing. In addition, it has toned naturally around the edges after 18 years of storage in an eagle holder.
What do you all think?

Unfiortunately, my pictures, (as usual) do not capture the coin as it really is.

Thanks,
Eduard

 

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I think a cleaned silver coin can be beautiful. It certainly depends on how it is done and the grade of the coin. First I tink shining and cleaning are certainly not one and the same. This coin looks as though it was polished/shined at one time. It is still a beautiful coin and the main thing is are you happy with it. To me nothing looks worse to have a coin say "fine" that is as shiny (without luster/cartwheels) as the day it was minted. You are right many wil blast you for having a cleaned coin, but that's okay if you are happy. Have you personally owned the coin all thes years?

 

Yes - most certainly. I mean just look at the one you posted - thats a very nice coin in my opinion.

 

Yes, there are many degrees of cleaning. From a light wipe to polishing or whizzing. Light wipes ( a few hairlines) can be in net graded in a tpg holder.

 

The older a coin is, the less important a cleaning is in my opinion. Most coins that old have probably been cleaned at least once along the way, and your coin will look fine when it begins to retone.

 

"Can a coin have been cleaned, and still be appealing? "

Of course they can.

 

I like it and it will probably get better looking in time , like others said any cleaning with an abrasive cleaner or wiping and polishing is wrong , dipping on the other hand if done right with hardly any loss of luster , on a coin that truly needs it is ok in my book , the problem is people not knowing what they're doing and doing it on coins that don't really need it .
rzage

 

Hello Al21, I'm just curious & it is none of my business...... Did you really join CT in May & this was your first post? Perhaps there is a software bug in the CT Website.

Hello Eduard, Your nice quarter is evidence that a coin can be cleaned & still be very appealing. (Of course, there are different levels of cleaning. One that I despise is when a coin surface is heavily polished). I think I have a quarter similar to yours that I can photograph & post.

Very best regards,
collect89

 

That is a really nice looking coin, and the cleaning appears to have been lightly done. Time will cover over the excessive brightness. At one time, of course, shiny coins were all the rage; now everyone wants original. It is really tough to find early coinage that wasn't shined to an extent. Personally, I think I'd be very happy with that quarter. If you like it is what really matters.

 

without doubt...The fact that it seems like you are mentioning killing a baby when you say you might clean a coin is just modern collector craziness. I am not saying scrub all your coins to the metal...JUST the fact that it is cleaned should never strip it of its value out of hand because people you never met said its how it should be...if a coin has great appeal...why should it lose value? Coin cleaning craziness is comparatively new and I think it has a lot to do with money. I great looking coin is just a great looking coin.

 

That coin looks great, cleaning or not.

 

Thank you all.
Seems like most of you are in agreement that the cleaning did not ruin this coin. I think it is quite nice actually (better be since i bought it!), it even seems to have some mint luster left around the stars. It was probably quickly dipped.

You know, here in Europe, and maybe specially Germany MANY coins have been cleaned. When you go to shows you will see row upon row of bright shiny coins. People seem to prefer them that way. Absolutely horrible! like cleaned with a brillo pad. That is the cleaning i dislike.