I went to my local coin show today which happens on the first Sunday of the month, and it was crowded! I didn't even have a chance to sit down and go through a junk box. I guess some people were doing their Christmas shopping., But I was not there to buy, but instead do market research. I wanted to get an idea of the prices I could expect to pay at auction, and what my own coins might sell for. And one thing struck me as odd. It seemed as if all the coins I saw of the type I own have way more luster than mine. So much so that I was beginning to wonder if they had been cleaned. I didn't have my magnifier with me to check, and maybe I just have lousy coins, but it did make me wonder.
Could the lighting factor into your perceptions about luster? At home I don't have the same lighting as there is at coin shows with coins under brighter lights.
Yes, show lighting may just be making them look that way. Next time, take a couple of your coins with you (and your loop) and compare them.
That's A good idea. I suppose I should have asked to see the coins in hand while I was there. But since everyone was so busy I thought it best not to. Practicing a bit of coin show etiquette you know.
I should also note that the coins I was looking at were in 2x2s. I did spot a slab that was labeled as cleaned.
Yeah, the fellows above are spot on I believe. I have seen tables set up with LED lamps over their table that made all the coins on that table appear spectacular.
