Hi, Just looking at some silver coins on APMEX and some say "cleaned", etc... Their prices look good, but what does this mean and how does this effect the value? Thanks - Dave
If a coin is cleaned, it can really damage the value YOU SHOULD NOT CLEAN YOUR COINS Polishing, scrubbing, whatever you do to clean it, it diminishes value. Some coins a lightly cleaned, and you can hardly tell, but they have still been cleaned. If I were you, and I was just buying coins for their bullion content, than buy those cleaned coins all day, but... If you are a collector, try to buy original coins
T$, I appreciate that info. I am collecting as a hobby and maybe as a long-term investment so I will stay away from the "cleaned" coins. Dave
As time goes on Dave you will need to learn to differentiate "cleaned" and "harshly (or improperly) cleaned" as they are entire different things with entirely different meanings. A coin can be cleaned without doing it any harm whatsoever. But a coin that is harshly or improperly cleaned is ruined forever. But just about everyone uses the term "cleaned" to mean harshly cleaned. They shouldn't though.
Thank you all for your input and your words of greetings. Yes, that website lists "Cleaned" as well as "lightly Cleaned" "Polished" and "Harshly Cleaned" so I will need to decide if that's for me. Dave
If something is polished, the luster is gone forever, so you would want to stay away from coins like that I'd say this is a good example of a really good cleaning! You see the marks on the coin, and this coin's value gets lowered due to it http://cgi.ebay.com/1839-Seated-Qua...QptZCoinsQ5fUSQ5fIndividualQQsalenotsupported A harsh cleaning you be worse than that above. Would have more marks shown, and the original color would be completely gone, so stay away from cleaned, harshly cleaned, and polished Now some cleaned coins are good, if a coin is lets say 80% corroded, and then it was cleaned, and now it is lets say 10-15% corroded, the value doesn't go down a whole lot, but it would be worth more if it was original.
Hope I don't regret saying this because I absolutely do not want anyone to misunderstand my comment - but there are times when a coin, if cleaned by someone who really knows what they are doing, will actually increase in value. So you want to be careful about making a statement like that tmoney.
Yes that is true Doug... One example is nightowl's find, his large cent... It was a whitish color, and was badly corroded, he cleaned it, (knew what he was doing), and he changed it from what looked like a rock, into a magnificent coin, that could easily grade in the F-VF range Yes, I can take back that comment, if you know what you are doing, cleaning can bring a coins value up, but I didn't want him to get the wrong idea, as to cleaning were okay, and I think I came on too strong on the topic. Sorry for the confusion
There is a bit more to it than that. For example, would you call dipping a coin cleaning ? I would. I have seen more coins than you can count that were graded as MS63 or 64 - dipped - and then graded as MS66 or even 67. That makes a huge difference in value - and it was all due to cleaning. The point is this - use the correct terminology. Cleaning a coin is not harmful to the coin in any way shape or form and quite often increases the value. Harshly, or improperly cleaning a coin is extremely harmful and without exception reduces the value of the coin.
I agree, but to be able to clean a coin properly, you have to know what you are doing, if you don't you could get rid of details on the coin, then the simple cleaning goes wrong. Yes, harshly cleaning and improper cleaning, will decrease a value of a coin, no matter what coin it is!
Conversely, if a coin is properly graded by a TPG and later retones inside the holder, does the grade drop? And what about the modern coins with MS69 and MS70 grades? Can a 20 year old toned coins really command that sort of grade? Are the people paying up for these coins buying a depreciating asset?
Those grades GDJMSP mentioned after the coins got the so-called dipsy-doodle treatment are the grades at the moment of the grading, if one wants to be particular about it. There are no guarantees whatsoever that those grades will remain the same over the passage of time. In that respect, the grade of every coin is a grade in the here-and-now, and grading, overall, is necessarily a function of time. FWIW.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It really depends on how the toning affects the eye appeal. It's possible it could even go up. Again, it can go either way. There are numerous examples of 20 year old coins that have been graded as 68, 69 and even a few 70's. And yes, they can be toned, in fact nearly all are as it is rather difficult to find a coin that is 20 years old that is not toned to some degree.
The idea is correct, but there are guarantees. At least for NGC and PCGS. For if a coin turns in the slab and would grade lower as result of that toning - then they will buy it back.
