Is it ok to Dip cpoins

Is it ok to dip coins? When is it acceptable and when is it not? Do the grading agencies slab dipped coins? Thought suggestions ideas ?

 

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If you think it's ok to skin dip in hydrochloric acid so that you can be hairless, sure why not?

 

I have cracked and dipped many an uncirculated coin in Eze-est and then sent them to pcgs and NGC and come back with a higher grade than before and never gotten a body bag.

A quick dip in ezest and then very well rinsed in distilled water, should do no harm.

Do not leave the coin in the dip for more than 15-20 seconds, hold with a rubber tong on the edge, and agitate for the 15 seconds, then rinse very thoroughly and let air dry, no rubbing.

I have never had an issue and they always look beautiful. don't do this to anything but an Unk Coin.

I now await a flood of angry responses to my post, post away

 

That is wrong and highly unethical! You are basically sending an altered and unoriginal coin which has been cleaned. What you do borders on fraud imo because I doubt you tell them it has been dipped and "cracked".
-NOS

 

I agree with you NOS, I hate to see and old coin that has been ruined by cleaning. I'm just surprised that the TPGs didn't notice it. I thought that they, as the experts, could tell if a coin has been cleaned?

 

It's quite ridiculous to say that borders on fraud. You are of course entitled to your opinion, but if a dip will improve the eye appeal of a coin, I say go for it.

 

If it's done right, there are no traces left and there is no proof that it was ever dipped. They will BB a coin that still has traces of the dip on it or if it's been dipped too many times (coins become duller with each dip).

 

dipping is not cleaning

dipping is not cleaning.

if done correctly, dipping will remove the oxidation which will eventually turn darker and sarker and eat into the luster

see book coin chemistry

 

Please note the original statement was UNCIRCULATED coins. That is why the grading services did not notice the slight dip. The coin was already pretty much clean to begin with. I've seen this done many times for uncirc coins at coin shows. One particular dealer told me they dip all brand new uncirculated coins and any they send in for grading come back not saying cleaned because they really were not cleaned.
I too see nothing wrong with dipping a very, very already uncirculated and clean coin to make it look a slight bit prettier. Selling such a coin is still not selling a cleaned coin.
However, this all depends on the coins of course. This is like taking a 500 year old table worth a lot of money and just dusting it off from household dust. However, no one in thier right mind would sand it down and then spray paint it with Walmart spray paint. Sort of the same thing here with coins.
One more thing though is the usage of even such things as Eze-Est or Acetone is the purity of the solution. One should always attempt to verify the purity of these cleaning agents. I've warned people many times that if you use the same solution over and over, you may be slowly accumulating damaging agents in the solution from each coin. This would mean even a brief dip may put something on a coin that if left would possibly damage the coin. Also, note the shelf life of such cleaning agents may have had time to accumulate the material on the inside of a can. Therefore any dipping or cleaning could ruin valuable coins but if already uncirculated and not to much in value, worth a try maybe.

 

never reuse the dip

I would even say never reuse the dip.

I usually put a small amount in a small glass container and then throw out the thouria (ezest) after. Sometimes I have bought a very ugly dark blue/black in parts unk coin for well under bid and cracked it dipped it and gotten a beautiful, coin and had it graded 2 grades higher. I had a ms62 come back as an ms64. The coin was an 1890-cc, big gain!

 

I disagree. If you know how to do it dipping can be just fine. Dipping can kill a coin but if you have a morgan dollar that has black toning it is going to help in the long run to dip it blast white.

Speedy

 

I agree with Speedy. You have to know absolutely what you're doing to have it work out in your favor. You can certainly ruin a coin this way.

 

yes you could ruin it, but you could also improve it

 

Why take the chance? For a better profit margin? Sadly that's all most of these "collectors" seem to think about, profit profit profit over preservation.

Right on the money with that one! Said it all right there.
-NOS

 

Do you have any before and after pics? Also, how long and how many times did you dip it to get it blast white?

 

one could argue that it is removing corrosion thus better preserving the coin

P.S. - I have never dipped a coin in anything but distilled water...

 

Preserving

If you wanted to "preserve a coin" it would be encased upon manufacture and prevented from comming into contact with damagaing chemicals, like the damaging chemicals in the air.

If an uncirculated morgan dollar has tarnished, or as some like to call it, toned, it is essential to the preservation to remove the layer which was not present at manufacture. Also this layer of tarnish contains harmful chemicals which react with the silver to its long term detriment.

If you properly remove the offending and damaging layer of oxidation and then encase the coin in a container, such a a sonicly sealed slab, or other such container which virtually eliminates further oxidation to the coin, you are most certainly helping to preserve the coin for many many generations.

These generations will be able to see and enjoy what the coin looked like the day it was made.

If all the coins were allowed to tarnish and keep oxidizing, all that would be left in 200 years are some big black circles of metal which bear no resemblence to its original state.

Oxidation on silver ends in BLACK, not a speculation but a chemical fact.

If you have a beautiful rainbow toned coin, and want to save it for future generations to appreciate, unless it is sealed off from all oxygen, it will loose that beautiful rainbow over time.

And as far as how many dips to get from black to blast white, ONE, in a thouria (ez-est) dip, about 45 seconds with agitation.

 

I've read all of the replies and can't say I'm quite sure. The seemingly "pure profit" gist is rather disturbing.

Soooo, just one question.

Do you work for SGS? Nah, the 62 would become a 68.

 

By agitation you mean you dilute it, correct? Could you tell me the percentages of each? (water / ezest). And did you have it in there for 45 seconds strait or was that the total time with multiple dips. Thanks...I have an ugly toned coin or two that I'd like to brighten up without ruining.

 

i have had a heated argument with a friend as i am dead opposed to dipping the coins and it looks like the debate has no answer here as people cant come to an agreement. it is really a sad state of affairs if TPG's cant make out that the coins have been cleaned