How can you tell if a coin has been cleaned, polished ,etc? Whats it do to the value? Am I getting coin fever,or what!
That's sort of like asking; "How do you know how to drive a car?". Actually, many of us have looked at thousands upon thousands of coins over the years, both cleaned and uncleaned. After a while you begin to notice the difference. Of course, sometimes it's very hard for even an old time collector to tell the differance. In most cases, cleaning greatly reduces the resale value of a coin. I wouldn't recommend a new collector try to clean their coins.
It does seem as if the collecting bug has bitten you. This is a good thing though. You must heed the advice past down from generation to generation. "Buy the book before the coin". This is probably the best advice I can give you. Learn as much about coins as you can before attempting to jump in head first. Once you have read some books, try to implement what you have learned. Go to some coin shows and ask questions. Ask them here also. Pick the brains of everyone that you know who collects coins. Learn the fun and interesting facts about coins. So many great people are involved in this hobby. Most of which are easily accessable. Most of us enjoy talking coins. It goes well above the values and trends. It is history in our hands. It is one thing to own a very valueable coin to show off, but it is even greater if you know the stories behind the coin. This can be the best part of numismatics. Along with the many friends from all over the world that you can make. Collect whatever inspires you. Collect for the pleasure of it. If you practice these two principles, your collection will always give you joy. There is no wrong way to collect. Enjoy, learn, and share.
