Hypothetical (hopefully funny and enjoyable) story/question about cleaning coins!

Let's say...an old farmer has been having a streak of bad luck with his crops. His grandfather always had the best crop in the county. He decides to get into his grandfather's, passed down, coin collection to get a good luck charm. The farmer knows nothing about numismatics and takes out a BU 1909-S VDB wheat cent. He puts it in his pocket and at the end of every day he rubs the coin, with his dirty hands, once or twice while saying a little prayer. This goes on for about a month. So now this is an AU with dirt caked around the date, mint mark, liberty, ect. One day he forgets to take it out and lay it on the table beside his bed. He wakes up upset and looks everywhere and can't find it, never thinking about checking the dirty clothes. He figures he has lost it in the fields somewhere. His wife proceeds to wash his overalls. The coin never falls out of his pocket or gets dinged because there is a whole load of clothes. He puts on the overalls a few days later and doesn't notice it. He goes to the gas station to get some gas for his tractor. He pumps $20.01 worth of gas. He pays with a $20 bill and fishes out the 1909-S VDB without noticing. I go in and get a drink and receive the cent in change. ***Was the coin worth more the day he took off his overalls? Even though it had a months worth of field dirt caked on it. Should I get my hands dirty and rub it gently so it doesn't look cleaned?

I hope everyone enjoys this! I had fun writing it! Please chime in. What do you guys and gals think?

 

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Don't rub it, and make sure you hold it by the edges. What you've found is collectible indeed. It's just not as price worthy as before the farmer rubbed it for luck.

 

I understand that. What I am talking about is after rubbing (dirty) vs. after washing clothes (cleaned).

 

Well heck, I gotta see the coin. Gotta pic? :devil:

 

It was counterfeit anyway.

 

I would say that overall the cent is gonna still be pretty good.