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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Mr. Coin Lover, post: 598996, member: 16060&quot;]Parts of this thread could lead us to a discussion that has been on Coin Talk several times since I&#039;ve been a member and I&#039;m sure many times before that.</p><p><br /></p><p>It has to do with coin appearance enhancement (Is that politically correct or what?) There are several articles scattered around the internet that wind up saying basically the same thing. That is the majority of old coins being collected have been enhanced at one time or another if they look really good. I agree with the statement, but have nothing to support it other than what I see.</p><p><br /></p><p>I think this basically falls into three broad categories: 1. Harshly cleaned&nbsp; 2. Polished and 3. Properly restored.&nbsp; I firmly believe there are people and companies out there capable of restoring a coin to a true beauty that is otherwise lost.</p><p><br /></p><p>I see collectors post pictures of coins here they have purchased and are rightfully proud of them both in raw and slabbed.&nbsp; In my opinion many of these coins had a little help at one time or another, and to me that is perfectly fine.</p><p><br /></p><p>I will admit a coin that is in a state of fine or very fine that has been restored will look like exactly what it is, overdone.&nbsp; But, in high AU and MS it can make a coin look truly beautiful.</p><p><br /></p><p>It has been discussed many times that it is okay to restore old cars, antiques like funiture and paintings, but not coins.&nbsp; There are people who strongly believe in this and that is fine if that is what they like.</p><p><br /></p><p>Coin dealers do not restore coins because they have nothing else to do. They do it because people like coins that are attractive to look at and in coins that old statement &quot;Beauty is in the eye of the beholder&quot; is definitely true with people building their entire collections around what they consider &quot;beauty&quot;. </p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;ll go out on a limb here and say many coin dealers that are Coin Talk members time to time enhance their coins also. I&#039;ll probably be blasted for saying this, have nothing to support it, just my opinion.&nbsp; It is often said here that only the inexperienced buy coins that have been enhanced.&nbsp; I don&#039;t believe that at all.&nbsp; I don&#039;t think a brick and mortar coin shop dealer can stay in business only selling to the inexperienced coin collector.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>When I was in Orlando at the Fun Show there were countless Morgans being sold by dealers, and in my opinion coutless numbers of these Morgans had some restoration done. I just can&#039;t believe that many old coins could look so good without a little help.</p><p><br /></p><p>Everytime I show my collection to a non-collector their eyes are always 100% of the time drawn to any proofs or coins that shine well on the page. When I say &quot;shine&quot; I don&#039;t mean shined , but have great luster.</p><p><br /></p><p>I guess what this all boils down to is buy what you like, what appeals to you. Just as some people think Peace Dollars are beautiful, others think they are ugly. The important thing here is to not others establish for you what looks good and what doesn&#039;t.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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