Why is TPG coin restoration acceptable but cleaning isnt? I also have the opinion that restorationn is upgrading a coin more than it originally is. Comments? Opinions?
Nobody that actually knows coins ever says that, or believes it because it simply isn't true ! It absolutely does not matter if a TPG does the cleaning, you do the cleaning, or your buddy down the street does the cleaning - as long as it is done correctly - it doesn't matter one bit who does it ! And this is not an opinion, it is an absolute fact. Literally tens of millions of coins have been correctly cleaned by private individuals and then cleanly graded and slabbed by ALL of the TPGs.
I have to say that you often make the most thoughtful replies, Doug. I have a number of Peace Dollars that are obviously cleaned, but I can't decide whether they have been done properly or not. It is obvious from looking at the coins that there really is too much wear for these to be as clean as they are. I am guessing that the lack of any original luster should be the first clue.
The one and only thing that determines if a coin has been harshly cleaned/improperly cleaned (both terms mean exactly the same thing) is if harm is done to the coin. If harm is done to the coin, the coin cannot be straight graded. If no harm is done to the coin, them the cleaning is just fine and the coin can be straight graded. It is just that simple - not complicated at all.
If it's been cleaned, it just can't look like it's been cleaned. The opposite is also true, theoretically. A coin that hasn't been cleaned (How would you know?) that LOOKS LIKE it's been cleaned, is also not going to grade straight.
I get what you're saying Kurt and agree for the most part. The thing is this, when a coin has been harshly cleaned there are always traces of that harsh cleaning that can be readily detected by those with the knowledge and experience to do so. Granted, there are many different forms those traces can take, but they are always there and always detectable. And yeah, they all do have a certain, but individual look to them. And if there are no traces that are detectable, then the coin has not been harshly cleaned. I would also add that learning how to correctly and accurately detect all forms of harsh cleaning is one of the hardest things there is to learn in numismatics. Some of them are downright easy to learn, but those are few in number.
Couple of comments...house restoration, yes, car restoration, yes, coin restoration, no. A coin cannot be restored. A coin can be conserved, which is a way of saying preserve it, and a coin can be cleaned, which is a way of saying undesirable elements can be removed from a coin leaving it in better shape than it was in before the cleaning. If the cleaning is detectable, it is unacceptable and can be referred to as harsh cleaning or whatever term you choose to use, but the fact remains that if you can tell it has been cleaned, it has...if you cannot tell a coin has been cleaned, it hasn't.
If you do not use the phrase harshly cleaned in that statement, as opposed to just cleaned - then what you said can be very misleading if not downright inaccurate. For example, I can tell that an older coin has been dipped and thus cleaned, even when there are no detectable signs at all other than a lack of toning, simply by using deductive reasoning. It is things like this that make using the correct phrase, harshly cleaned, so important.
