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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Insider, post: 2876922, member: 24314&quot;]IdesOfMarch01, posted: &quot;<b>Definitions</b> (my personal definitions, open to modification and discussion).</p><p><br /></p><p><i><span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 179)">Suggestions</span></i>:</p><p><i><b><br /></b></i></p><p><i><b>Cleaning</b>:</i> Removal of surface debris and encrustations that were not part of the coin&#039;s surface when originally struck.&nbsp; Naturally occurring patinas may be removed inadvertently or purposely during this process. Note that removal of surface debris and encrustations will necessarily make the coin&#039;s surface smoother, so this definition is probably too broad for certain posters to this thread.&nbsp; Unfortunately I can&#039;t think of any cleaning process that doesn&#039;t make a coin&#039;s surface smoother in some respect. [<span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 179)">An acetone wash is one. While some conservation (proper cleaning) does not affect the actual surface; technically, an acidic dip - also called proper cleaning when you cannot tell it was done - does remove impurities that were parts of a coin&#039;s surface</span>.] This implies that it&#039;s <i>theoretically impossible</i> to clean a coin without smoothing it [<span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 179)">Removing a film, dirt, or oxidation on a coin chemically is NOT &quot;smoothing&quot; its surface</span>.], thus my original note that I&#039;ve never seen an ancient bronze that was cleaned but not smoothed (other than the uncleaned lots that come out of discovered hoards).</p><p><br /></p><p><i><b>Smoothing</b>:</i> Removal of parts of a coin&#039;s original surface and/or naturally occurring patina to make the surface smoother and more even with any gouges or pitting that may have occurred after the coin was struck.</p><p><br /></p><p><i><b>Tooling</b>: </i>The addition [<span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 179)">Tooling NEVER adds any additional material to a coin.&nbsp; It can move existing metal into another shape.</span>] or removal of any material or features that were not part of the coin when it was originally struck.&nbsp; This includes the raising or lowering of any of the devices or fields.</p><p><br /></p><p>I welcome any comments or suggestions about my definitions.&nbsp; I find them to be usable, workable definitions when applied to coins that I&#039;m considering acquiring.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 179)">Remember, all these comments are just my opinions.</span>&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #b300b3">IMO the second posted coin is a <b>very nice job</b>.&nbsp; From the image, IMO they left scratches above &quot;INA&quot; in the small area that is harder to flatten out and the slightly depressed patch at 2 o&#039;clock in the reverse field.&nbsp; I think it is &quot;market acceptable&quot; as is.</span>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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