how can you tell if a coin his been dipped or not, some of these old morgans sure are bright and clean. is there a way to tell
If a 100 year old silver coin is bright and clean, there is a very high probability that it has been dipped. If properly dipped, it may still have its luster.
i seen a guy on tv one night who deals in old half dollars and sells some at very high prices. he said many years ago he dipped a coin and got over 6 figures out of it. still today he is the man on high dollar kennys and franklins
And on Morgans it can be tough. I think tpgs are tougher on them than other coins just because they are readily available(in my opinion). It takes lots of experience to catch some of them.
All three of the above posts make good points. Luster has a lot to do with it. Even a heavily toned coin will still have the luster. Carefully dipped it will retain that. Harshly dipped and it loses the patina. Easiest way to tell the difference? Look at a LOT of coins. It starts to jump out at you after a while.
The bottom line is that often, you can't tell. However, there are clues to look for, a number of which have been posted here. Edited to add: It is not unusual for dipped Proof coins to display scattered light/white splotchy areas from a dipping or stained areas, where the toning had etched into the surface before being removed from the dipping.
Yes, use common sense. Every single coin ever made begins to tone the moment it leaves the press. So if you see a coin that is more than say, 25 years old, and it has no signs of toning whatsoever, then it has almost certainly been dipped. And if it was done properly, you won't be able to tell. Other than by using the reasoning I meantioned above.
It primarily depends on exactly what was done for dipping. If for instance a coin was dipped in just a really mild solution of some cleaning agent and was done a long time ago, it may be impossible to tell. If a coin has extensive wear and has a mirror like appearance, it surely was dipped in something harsh. There are just way to may different types of what is called dipping with way to many different types of chemicals. And way to many different times in the past when these may or may not have been done. And of course the many coins that may have been cleaned and allowed to sit somewhere where they retone to some extent. In some instances a dipped coin is apparent and in other instances no one would be able to tell.
