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<p>[QUOTE="iPen, post: 2030729, member: 69760"]It's difficult for me to identify coins that are cleaned by looking at photos, but some of you are able to tell instantly. I guess it comes with years and years of experience collecting and examining coins. Can you tell if this coin is cleaned just from the closeup photo?</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee451/kovacs22/_57_zps18a744f6.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>So, just to clarify on the definition of cleaning from the numismatic standpoint... I've read other threads here on cleaning and I would like to better understand what that means.</p><p><br /></p><p>If "cleaned" also includes removing dirt, oils, gummy residue from circulated coins under running warm water, then I'm lost in the point of having the numismatic definition. Technically, one is cleaning a coin under water, or even rubbing dirt off with your hands, but I don't see it "harming" or taking away from the natural characteristics of the coin. I can see harsh physical cleaning as "cleaning", e.g. scrubbing using abrasive materials like a scotchbrite, which scratches the coin thus leaving a physical mark. But surface dirt removal under warm tap water... is that cleaning in the numismatic definition of cleaning?</p><p><br /></p><p>Then throw in years of circulation... where there are natural circulation and bag marks, which can make things more confusing. Though, harsh physical cleaning will have more fine and patterned scratches to differentiate it from bag marks. And, circulation marks do take away from the natural, <i>original</i> characteristic of the coin. But I believe the biggest differentiation is that it's <i>expected</i>. Is that the correct way of looking at it? Anything else to look for?</p><p><br /></p><p>And I know cartwheel luster is a sign of uncleaned coins, but that's easier to see in-person (as I'm sure all coins are easier to diagnose in-person). Also, acid solutions etching into the coin, such as hydrogen peroxide with vinegar, are easy to tell as well.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks in advance and I appreciate your patience in this long write-up.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="iPen, post: 2030729, member: 69760"]It's difficult for me to identify coins that are cleaned by looking at photos, but some of you are able to tell instantly. I guess it comes with years and years of experience collecting and examining coins. Can you tell if this coin is cleaned just from the closeup photo? [IMG]http://i1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee451/kovacs22/_57_zps18a744f6.jpg[/IMG] So, just to clarify on the definition of cleaning from the numismatic standpoint... I've read other threads here on cleaning and I would like to better understand what that means. If "cleaned" also includes removing dirt, oils, gummy residue from circulated coins under running warm water, then I'm lost in the point of having the numismatic definition. Technically, one is cleaning a coin under water, or even rubbing dirt off with your hands, but I don't see it "harming" or taking away from the natural characteristics of the coin. I can see harsh physical cleaning as "cleaning", e.g. scrubbing using abrasive materials like a scotchbrite, which scratches the coin thus leaving a physical mark. But surface dirt removal under warm tap water... is that cleaning in the numismatic definition of cleaning? Then throw in years of circulation... where there are natural circulation and bag marks, which can make things more confusing. Though, harsh physical cleaning will have more fine and patterned scratches to differentiate it from bag marks. And, circulation marks do take away from the natural, [I]original[/I] characteristic of the coin. But I believe the biggest differentiation is that it's [I]expected[/I]. Is that the correct way of looking at it? Anything else to look for? And I know cartwheel luster is a sign of uncleaned coins, but that's easier to see in-person (as I'm sure all coins are easier to diagnose in-person). Also, acid solutions etching into the coin, such as hydrogen peroxide with vinegar, are easy to tell as well. Thanks in advance and I appreciate your patience in this long write-up.[/QUOTE]
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