Improperly Cleaned...Criteria?

[najat]

Your definition of improperly cleaned leaves it wide open to designate any coin with light scratches or brush marks to be designated improperly cleaned. What criteria do you follow to decide if a coin is truly improperly cleaned? If it has any light brush-like marks it will get the designation? It seems it's one person's opinion looking at the coin. Handling the coin with cotton gloves could potentially leave light brush marks on a coin when in fact it's BU. I can see it when a coin has obvious signs of being cleaned, but how do you differentiate between one that looks like it "might" have been cleaned? Thanks.

[Max Spiegel]

Thanks for the question. Because there are so many types of improper cleaning, the definition is fairly open by necessity. Ultimately, it comes down to the experiences and judgement of the graders who see the coin.

 

There are also degrees of improper cleaning, and if it is light cleaning some people may have different perceptions about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. In many cases, this also depends on the type of coin. Because multiple graders look at a coin, in borderline cases they are able to come to a consensus as to whether is it improperly cleaned or not.

 

NGC graders never use cotton gloves as the risk of damaging the coin is much greater. (It can be dropped or, in the example you gave, marked.)

[FoxFire LLC]

Is there a location where you keep pictures and descriptions of imporperly cleaned coins.....if so is there a link??? It would be a benifit as it is a costly endevor for those of us that have inherited large coin collections I have inherited literally 100's of thousands of coins as well as currency....and I plan to be sending 20 to 100 at a time which is there a discount on amount sent in

but in seriousness I have no idea what to look for I have items from BC to AD dating up to even current from all over the world from ming dysnsty and some type of stone coins I am told on the package to present day about 1981 when my father died and left it to me. there are about 4 tons of coins and stacks of currencies and the bank has asked that I release some of the boxes as I have too many I am looking at other banks and have been successful but to speed the process is there a way or site of figuring out what is cleaned or not worth sending in due to improper cleaning we can view to understand???

[Max Spiegel]

Thanks for the post. It is very difficult if not impossible to understand improper cleaning from a picture alone. I would recommend you look at as many NGC-certified coins as possible in person (perhaps at a local coin show) and compare the Details graded Improperly Cleaned coins with the numerically graded coins. Looking at the coins in person will help you get a far more accurate impression than looking at images online.