Cleaned vs Polished

[Gunsmoke]

What is the difference between cleaned and polished? I had a gold coin body bagged for being polished. How is this different than being cleaned and what are the tell-tale signs?

[John Maben]

Gunsmoke,

 

Polishing is a more severe form of cleaning typically found when a coin is mounted in a bezel or a ring for jewelry purposes although sometimes even when its never been in jewelry. If someone along the line of ownership believed that the more shiny the coin is the better, they may polish it. I've heard inexpierienced collectors talk of shining up their coins in the same way they would their silverware. A polished coin will usually have a manufactured mirror surface bearing a slight resemblence to a proof but the surfaces are not consistent and the luster is not natural. Microscopic examination will usually reveal traces of the metal being moved. These are not difficult to spot once you've seen a few.

 

John

[Gunsmoke]

Thanks. I guess mistakes are a little less costly if you can learn from them.