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Message:: [QUOTE="Coinman1981, post: 710762, member: 20610"]It's really a matter of "how bad" the damage is. A tiny scrape across Lincoln's face on the cent is probably "as bad" as a couple long hairlines near the edge of the field. A lightly cleaned coin is going to fetch a higher amount than the same coin with a harsh, abrasive cleaning. A coin that was once harshly cleaned but evenly retoning is "better" than a coin harshly cleaned just last month. While there is no perfect science to pricing or ranking such problems, there is a general notion that ranking each coin individually is probably better than lumping all "scratched" or "cleaned" coins as completely defective and unworthy, especially when there are so many variables. I do think the "worst" problems, categorically, are bent, corroded, and holed pieces. Unless building a "cull" collection (and people do in fact assemble such collections), I would avoid anything that has significantly damaged the structure of the coin. It's one matter to have a lightly cleaned coin or a piece with a few noticeable ticks; once the "problems" begin involving gross damage to the planchet, the coin becomes completely unsightly and virtually unwanted by most numismatists.[/QUOTE]