Hi, everyone...sorry I haven't been on much (work & new puppy sighs**) but anyway...I was wondering...I just recently purchased a 1892 Barber Quarter on the Ebay (don't hate me) for $54 (-$22.60 Ebay Bucks Certificate = $31.40 total) and I was wondering if I did good or not...it was labeled "AU" but does it grade AU? I didn't mind the "fine lines"on the obverse since I really wanted a high grade early barber quarter for a good price/bargain and also how the condition of it looks to you...lemme know if I did good or not...i'm not really sure but overall I think the coin looks awesome and a great purchase to start the year...hehe thanks again and good luck and happy hunting -acsf89:hail:
it does bother me too as far as cleaning but $30 is $30.. its either a t-shirt, shoes (costs more) or an 1892 barber quarter... i chose the quarter....hehe=)
Theres a big difference between cleaned and conserved. This is a great example of a cleaned coin those fine lines are hairlines from being scrubbed improperly. Conserving a coin is done with any number of chemicals, Acetone comes to mind to remove unwanted residues (glue,tape, PVC ETC) or to dip the coin to bring back some of the luster. This type of "Cleaning" is market acceptable as it doesn't damage the coin.
I don't find much of a difference between the two. I have "cleaned" or "conserved" a number of coins using a huge range of chemicals. Acetone is conserving but still cleaning unwanted residue off the coin. Dipping when done correctly generally does not cause noticeable damage but still removes a very small layer of the metal, providing the coin with a false luster, similar to the luster caused by the minting process. Conservation, or coin cleaning, is a part of the hobby. I would just wish people would stop taking lemon juice to their lincoln cents and metal brushes to their morgans! If done correctly it can benefit the condition of the coin without causing damage. Garrett
Thats the whole key to everything - do it correctly. And yes this is better than a t-shirt - if nothing else you always have the silver content.