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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Broucheion, post: 7940003, member: 104887&quot;]Amen Doug!</p><p><br /></p><p>I’ve been collecting for about 40 years. At the 20 year mark (i.e., no longer a novice) I thought I’d investigate cleaning. I soon realized that cleaning needs a separate skill set and education process. The big time sellers have staff that learn to clean coins to keep a steady stock flowing. I respect this skill, but cleaning a coin is not the same as restoring a car. Cleaning is not restoring. As Doug stated, coin surfaces are thin, fragile and subject to a lot of chemistry before they were dug up. Most are coming to you already cleaned - there is little more you can do in most cases. Making ok coins ugly is VERY easy.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you need to see the coin in its mint state you have to buy a mint-state coin. That $$$ outlay will make your wife sit up and notice (I speak from experience). Take heart, there are some more reasonably priced mint-state coins, but these are getting scarce fast and take some effort to locate. Reasonably priced is still not cheap.</p><p><br /></p><p>Welcome to collecting, or welcome to cleaning, but cleaning is NOT restoring. No matter what, have fun, and take all the advice (including mine), with a grain a salt.</p><p><br /></p><p>- Broucheion[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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