Yes, I know the golden rule of NCAC. When I find a coin in terrible shape that isn't worth anything, I try to get the junk off of it. My questions is how do you tell that coins have been cleaned? Luster? Scratches? I don't rub the coins that I have cleaned, I get the vinegar and gunk off using a medium high pressure water hose, which means there won't be any scratches. I'm still ignorant about many parts of the hobby, which is why more of my posts are questions instead of observations. Thanks in advance.
Take a junk silver coin, and clean it with a sponge or a q tip and see what it looks like afterwards.
Usually if the coin is aged and silver for instance it should have some tone so a dead give away is if an extra fine coin is a new silver color like a polished sterling spoon color. Hairlines are usually apparent when looking at the coin, especially if it is rotated under light. First though you have to know what an original looking coin looks like and study that then you won't have much of a problem identifying if the coin is cleaned or just wrong looking.
First of all you need to understand something - there is cleaning, and there is harsh cleaning. Cleaning, if done correctly, is perfectly acceptable. There are millions of coins that have been cleaned that have been graded and slabbed. Harsh cleaning however is not acceptable. Harshly cleaned coins are not graded and slabbed. Unfortunately, when speaking or writing very few people use the correct terminology. Instead they will refer to harshly cleaned coins as cleaned coins, as if the two terms - cleaned & harshly cleaned - were interchangeable. They are not interchangeable ! That's what causes the problem and why many get the wrong idea. As for your question. Yes, sometimes luster, or rather breaks in the luster or a lack of luster, can be a good indicator that a coin has been harshly cleaned. And yes, sometimes fine scratches and or hairlines are also a good indicator that a coin has been harshly cleaned. But neither thing, breaks in the luster nor scratches/hairlines, are always an indicator that a coin has been harshly cleaned. That's because normal wear & tear can also cause and create breaks in the luster and scratches/hairlines on coins. So you have to be able to learn how to tell the difference between harsh cleaning and the effects of normal wear and tear. That is not always easy to do. It is also important to understand that there are many forms of harsh cleaning, and each different form of harsh cleaning has different indicators. And that is why some folks will look at a coin that has been designated as having been harshly cleaned and say - I don't see any signs this coin was harshly cleaned, what's up with that ? Explaining how to do all of this is rather complicated, and it would basically take a book on the subject to explain it all in written words. It also requires a good deal of experience and practice to learn it - it is a part of grading. The reason I say it is a part of grading is because harshly cleaned coins cannot be graded. The same is true for other forms of problem coins (and there are many), they cannot be graded either. So before you can accurately and correctly grade coins you have to be able to correctly identify all forms of problem coins. Otherwise you will be trying to assign grades to coins that cannot be graded. And obviously if you do that you have made a mistake. So, since we cannot write an entire book here on the forum, if you have a specific coin that you would like to ask about, post pictures of it. And I, and I'm sure others, will try and explain how to identify if that coin has been, or not been, harshly cleaned.
Bugo thanx for the cleaning thread. I am a fan of indian head pennies. I will not hesitate to get coins completely black with who knows what. For the sole purpose of cleaning, often there freebees that are thrown in with another coin purchase or trade. I say these coins are worthless so why not try and bring back some detail. This is not a post advocating cleaning, so before anyone calls for tar & feathers I say its ok to try and restore worthless coins. Hope I don't get banned from hear.
Welcome firefli I'm sure many here agree with you. If it's worthless you can't hurt it. Many folks that have been in the hobby for very long, teach, never clean. That comes from seeing so many new folks that take it past worthless coins and destroy something of real value.
