The PNG has Published an Initial Definition of "Coin Doctoring"

No they do not. There is a fundamental difference in what NCS does and what a coin doctor does. In simplest terms it is this -

- a coin doctor is trying to fool everybody by making the coin appear to be something it is not.

- NCS is removing some sort of foreign material so that everybody can see what the coin actually is. They are not attempting to fool anyone.

And this is exactly why dipping a coin is not considered to be coin doctoring either. The person dipping the coin isn't trying to fool anybody. They are merely trying to reveal what is already there by removing foreign substances and/or unsightly toning.

 

Not at all, that comment is merely semantics. As I have said many time before - cleaning and conservation are the exact same thing. In order to be called either one the action taken to clean/conserve the coin can do no harm to the coin.

The different or opposite term is harsh/improper cleaning - and this term is defined by the action taken doing harm to the coin.