Just got a hold of this one from a larger lot. It looks great without wear, but I'm no expert on the high grades. Anyone with a guess on grade or can say if this coin looks like it's been cleaned? Doesn't look like the white color of other coins I'm sure has been cleaned.. Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It's not like I actually think it's been cleaned. It's more that I have never had my hands on a older coin with such luster and bling. Also has no toning, just very shiny, so wanted to hear someone else's opinion [emoji4] Can't really see any hairlines. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Cleaned yes, undoubtedly. There are multiple areas of obvious parallel hairlines, but the bigger issue is flashiness without a typical luster pattern - typical of polishing. A bit of remaining normal luster can be seen on the reverse, around the eagle's head and in the protected areas between the lettering "QUARTER DOLLAR." Cool coin nonetheless. One of my favorite designs and quite unlike any other circulating US coinage.
Thanks for the inputs! Exactly what I was worried about - the massive flash without the "normal" luster and toning I see on other old silver. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
How about ideas of grade not putting too much consideration into possible cleaning/polishing? [emoji6] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It's been my experience that too many do just that instead of giving it due consideration, and is how we end up with so many meh coins that are still "acceptable". From what I see, the coin doesn't, or at least shouldn't, deserve a straight grade.
Looks AU to me. The style of the hairlines is consistent with a light cleaning, though I suspect that the coin only suffered a wiping. I feel the lighting may be bringing out the hairlines more than they would in-hand.
Here are a few more pics. Straight shot without angle and direct light. Perhaps it was beautifully toned at some point, now more flashy. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
....which, if true (and the dark spotting on areas of both faces supports the theory), is conclusive proof of being dipped and/or mechanically cleaned. Coins don't tone into late-stage colors in small spots like that. I see the hairlines, but they're not necessarily extensive enough to immediately believe they're deliberate so at this point I'm thinking the only offenses against the surfaces are chemical ones.
...and that is IT. I keep an inexpensive, 100% original, high grade, frosty WHITE, 2nd tier TPGS MS-66 Washington quarter in my pocket at shows to show others what 100% original frosty WHITE silver coins SHOULD look like. The silver-gray color of the coin is wrong. There is also a very slight amount of rub on the OP's coin. All the bright diagonal, parallel lines in the first two images are from slight brushing (cleaning). This helps hide the rub on the coin.
The fields below the eagle and the area to the left of Liberty appear to show hairlines. I would grade this AU details, cleaned.
