Hey to all. Happy New Year!!! Quick questions here. When a coin is returned to the owner "body bagged" with the cleaned paperwork from PCGS or NGC, does that mean it was dipped? Is there a way to tell if a coin has been dipped in a solution like E-zest? Thanks for any insight you may have on this topic.
It might, or it might not. The TPGs consider a coin that has been over-dipped as having been harshly cleaned. But, a coin that has been properly dipped will be graded and slabbed just like any other coin that has not been dipped. There are a thousand different ways to harshly clean a coin. Every one of them will result in the TPGs saying one thing, the same thing - improperly cleaned. Again it depends, just like above. If it was done properly then no you can't tell. If it was done improperly then an experienced eye can see it at a glance. Of course almost any older coin that looks completely untoned - you can bet money that it has been dipped and you'll win 8 out of 10 times. There is nothing wrong with dipping a coin, as long as you do it right.
