Feelings on improperly cleaned coins?

Gold doesn't tend to tone like other metals...it's much less reactive. It will tone, but very slowly. I would probably put it in a sealed envelope for a cigar box or something if you want to try and tone it.

 

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Exactly what I would say.

 

Bumping this thread!

I thought about starting a new one but low and behold I remembered this thread and found it.

So what's everybody think about NCS improperly cleaned slabs? A situation has presented itself for me to possibly get a coin that is in a condition that normally would be well out of my reach right now but has been improperly cleaned so should sell for much less. Old, very rare, less than 18k minted, less than 1k known in existence. Maybe a handful come up for sale a year and most have problems or huge premiums for problem free pieces.

I'm just worried about purchasing 'possibly' the highest dollar coin of my collection and it being an improperly cleaned example. Opportunities don't come around that often, especially for the price it 'should' go for, especially with a down economy. But who knows.

The big unavoidable issue I see is that years ago, cleaning coins was considered to be market acceptable. So if that's what everyone was doing, realistically, what of the numismatic coins that are left.... how small of a percentage really escaped this time period unscathed when it would have been to a sellers benefit to clean their coins making them shiny and desirable? I would think almost everything would have gotten cleaned at some point! And most what we think has not been cleaned, has probably just re-toned, like many have said here.

Now all of a sudden it's not market acceptable but the damage has been done. Some obvious, some not. IMO, I think we treat cleaned coins unfairly. Unless they're really bad. For so many series, we have such a small pool of available coins left. Is it really the best thing to do to buy an uncleaned example for thousands or get the imperfect, cleaned one for $500? They both were made at the same time, same place and both circulated. Either one will sit in the safe the same. Both will have the same metal content. For anyone with a budget, I think the answer is obvious. Is it really worth it? I agree that it really depends on the coin and how it looks. It's hard to get a shiny one with hair lines but if the alternative is not owning the $3k model, what do you do?

 

Never cleana coin , please read previos threads , if you clean one, and it does not turn out,you will be tempted to clean another etc.
There have been coins , from dealers that i loved, but not only the apperance of them did not look right, some have a sleck greasy texture to them.I have found out, do not be afraid to ask questions, on this forumn
everyone is so helpful, sure we may make a joke coment on a oost ,I have had a few on mine
When you receive one, set back and think what you posted, and usually you will get the answer yourself.:thumb:

 

n my opinion I would agree and say that you would have to analyze het specific coin I know that I've seen a 1917 VG8 typ1 and NGC said that it was improperly cleaned but in my opinion it didn't look so bad at all but I have a 1875 s pcs graded coin and to me it looks to be improperly cleaned but pcs doesn't say if it is or not so I would look at The specific coin because if its half the price and doesn't look so bad th even though NGC said that it was improperly cleansed then It sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.