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Message:: [QUOTE="Gavin Richardson, post: 2782914, member: 83956"]A fair question, and an easy answer if the process of buying and cleaning is simply about the product, the coin itself. I haven't kept up with this thread, so I don't remember what the OP motivations were. But for myself, I will never discount the learning I gained by working through about 100-125 uncleaned coins in my early days. Today when I buy a coin, I still learn something. But that lovely Philip the Arab coin above is going to come to me in a flip with all the attribution details filled in. With uncleaneds, however, you have do earn every #^$* letter on that legend. You have to squint to make out that reverse image. Is that FORTUNA? Is it ANNONA? And what is she holding? And when you do nail it, it's like finding the lost piece to a puzzle. Very satisfying. Who cares if it's an $6 piece of junk? Maybe only my heirs. With that having been said, I generally don't buy uncleaneds anymore, and the quality has gotten much worse, so I have slow my roll a bit on praising the process. But I would not discourage a novice collector from experimenting, as long as he or she has appropriate expectations. After an experimental period, perhaps they can "graduate" toward finer coins from auctions and dealers. That was my path.[/QUOTE]