Is it true that cleaning a coin removes a surface film?

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Don’t misunderstand him. He’s not saying don’t buy what you enjoy. He’s saying when it’s junk, you’re stuck with it.

 

To do that you need to be able to spot when luster has been removed. Does that make sense? If it does, you need to study up on that.

Generally-speaking, lusterless coins are dead-looking, flat, and one-dimensional. The depth has been taken out of them, and it can never be restored. The coin is finished. Its mint flow lines have been obliterated. It’s beyond restoration. It’s a corpse.

Think of luster as analogous to the fine glimmer and sparkle in a diamond. Can you differentiate a diamond from cut glass? It’s not exactly where you are in your dilemma, but it’s a darn good piece of where you are. Become proficient in discerning when luster in a coin has been disturbed. The more the disturbance, the more lifeless, the more “cleaned.” And there you got it, your answer.

 

Agreed. That’s the point I was trying to make. I was saying that even cleaned coins have a price where it’s a fair deal to buy them. It’s not like buying any cleaned coin for any amount means you got ripped off.

 

As I wrote at 9PM while still at work...

I was not going to read further. If I had, I would be sleeping at work because it would have required hours of posting.

Furthermore there is ABSOLUTELY NO Debate about the meaning of "as struck" and "mint state" AS LONG AS THE COINS CAME IMMEDAATELY OFF THE PRESS! That includes any type of minting error.

Best of all, I got you out off your couch and posting. I shall read and post to this entire thread and your reply above when I have more time and the desire to do so.

 

OldSilverDollar, posted: "Cleaning is often an just a viewpoint [Not really - a coin is either original, properly cleaned, or improperly cleaned. Each of these comes in "degrees of originality or cleaning.] by coin graders as I have seen many, many experienced coin dealers send in a coin to have it come back cleaned and the dealer and anyone they show it to cannot find a cleaning mark.

That ought to tell everyone about the knowledge of may folks they deal with - including those who sell coins.

Some obvious cleaned coins they get a pass by graders because the year and series. Very true.

You could save a lot of money buying cleaned coins once you understand what to look for and understand the whole cleaning label is itself flawed. Often you will find very nice coins you could look at for hours and not see any rub marks.
Buying ICG and Anacs coins you could get better deals then raw as people often heavily discount when it has a nice coin.

The TPGS try their best to get coins into straight grade holders.

I seen hundreds of coins come back from crossover from one TPG to another TPG were they were given a cleaned label with no reason given and majority you could Crack out and send back to them and get a strait grade.

This is also true because of the SUBJECTIVITY that is a major part of the COMMERCIAL GRADING done at TPGS's. The market acceptability of a coin is affected by many factors!

I bought recently a so called clean coin of a series of coin I do not collect myself that was labeled cleaned/artificial toning but before buying I asked the seller for better photos and was certain the coin was body bagged due to one grading company seeing themselves as God's when accepting crossover coins from another grading company. I got it, cracked it and sent it to NGC priority and my $5000 gamble is now worth $15000, mailed it to heritage yesterday to collect my winnings.

Nice story. Let's have the facts.

TLDR: sometimes so called cleaned coins are hidden gems not the majority of Time but once you know what to look for and how to grade the coin independently of the label.

 

eddiespin, posted: "To do that you need to be able to spot when luster has been removed. Does that make sense?"

Just to clarify, cleaned coins have luster. It is not original Mint luster and it may be dull.

 

Most collectors think/use/associate the word "luster" with 'mint luster." It can be very confusing. Want to have some fun? Show a MS-64 Morgan dollar and an
AU-58 Polished dollar to a non collector and 90+% of the time they will like the polished coin better because of its brighter "LUSTER" due to polishing!

 

@Insider, I don't think we're seeing luster the same way. You seem to be describing shininess or reflectivity. Is that how you're seeing it?

 

Exactly. Luster is defined as: "The quality of shining by reflected light." Polish an oak table and it will have luster. Mint state luster is more specific and confined to coins. A mint state coin has no luster in a dark closet. A shiny coin does not either although in both cases everything on the coin needed to produce the specific "look" of its particular luster is present.

I'm looking at a 1914 barber dime. The entire coin is bright (luster from reflected light) under the incandescent bulb BUT the only mint luster left is right next to the raised areas of its design. The "luster" between the rim and the wreath (protected area with original mint luster) is different from the luster (reflection from the worn metal) in the field.

 

I don’t know much about coins. Nor do I buy coins. But I do know if I was to buy a coin. It wouldn’t be a problem coin. Just me I guess

 

Does Medicare cover that

 

Not just you girl.

 

Do they have burnished president dollars. Would love an Abe one.