improper cleaning

[Chef727-migration]

I have sent in a number of coins to be graded only to have them returned as improperly cleaned. Are there ways to detect this? any help would be great.

 

Thanks

Chef 727

[123cents]

When a coin is polished or wiped such action will mar or destroy natural luster. The coin will have a scratchy unnatural look. These scratches or hairlines can be seen under a good light source usually with the naked eye.

[Dcoin]

Welcome to the boards....the term improperly cleaned is very broad and can include many different cleaning techniques. Pictures may help ID exactly what kind of cleaning NGC was referring to.

[James_OldeTowne]

There are numerous ways of cleaning coin, nearly all of which leave telltale signs. I can't summarize it in a single post, or even a single thread. If you want to post some sample images, this forum is an extremely valuable way to get feedback.

[Just Bob]

Welcome to the forum, Chef!

[BECOKA]

One way is if you see a bunch of hairlines all going in the same direction it was improperly cleaned. Another is if it is bright and shiny and you see swirl marks it was whizzed.

 

Many coins used in jewelery have been polished. The surfaces will be smooth, the will be little or no luster and if over polished the devices will look mushy.

[TomB]

Images of the coins in question would help greatly in that one or more of us might be able to point out the problems to you.

[BillJones]

Yes, pictures would help.

 

But I can tell you that one can really mess around with a silver coin, and it will still be graded. When it comes to copper coins the slightest thing will put it into a body bag. Such is the way of third party graders. It is one of the reasons why it is so hard to find pre 1857 coins in holders. An even more important reason is that early American copper collectors don't like slabs, and they often don't agree with the grades the slab companies give to coins. This includes the finest known examples.