Help with identifying cleaned coins

[TerrapinWill]

Can the people here tell me what I should look for, in trying to determine if coin has been cleaned. What are the marks, etc that I should look for. Is it possible to repair that damage in a way that doesnt harm the coin? I' have been burned by buying a few excellent looking coins, that would have likely graded 62+ (IMHO) but were returned marked "Improperly Cleaned). I had no idea....so educate me please.

[gmarguli]

Improper Cleaning will usually result in hairlines on the surface of the coin. Rotate the coin in the light and look for tiny hairline marks across the surface of the coin.

 

Improper Cleaning can also change the luster of the coin. Does the coin look "dead" to you when you look at it and compare it to other examples?

 

There is no way to fix improper cleaning. You could carry the coin around with you for a while and wear it down a little until the cleaning is gone, but it takes time and it will not work with all coins.

[mommam17]

Sometimes it`s better to learn what an original coin looks like and then it will be easier to identify a cleaned coin.

[James_OldeTowne]

A better way to address your question might be: What does an original coin look like?

 

There are two areas of concern: UNCirculated coins, and circulated coins.

 

UNC coins: the "look" of the luster is key. Cleaned coins will have odd looking luster, whether it be flat, dead, "off", or just plain unnatural.

 

circulated coins: most coins acquire natural toning when they circulate. cleaning removes the natural tone and leaves an overly bright or "light" color to the coin.

 

This is a very brief synopsis, and really, you'll have to look at uncleaned examples and learn the "look" of an original coin.

 

James

[Oldtrader3]

Most of the time, coins are cleaned with an abrasive medium that leaves hairlines or striations (i.e. whizzing). However, some "Doctors" use reagents, such as concentrated acid, to clean a coin. This is different than using a mild, diluted acid such as Jewel Luster to dissolve toning. Strong acids will etch a coin and leave a bright surface without hairlines that can be difficult to detect.

 

I have a 1913-S Barber Dime that was probably etched by a coin "Doctor" using concentrated acid. This type of cleaning can be very difficult to detect. NGC bodybagged this Barber Dime as "Improperly Cleaned". The cleaning was done well enough to fool the Auction company's grader and me until I looked at it under 10X magnification.

 

In this case, the coin's value was high enough to entice the "Doctor" into using extreme measures to make the coin look mint state.

[DaveG]

"Photograde" by James Ruddy and "The Coin Collector's Survival Manual" by Scott Travers both have sections on cleaned coins.

 

If you don't have them, I highly recommend them. Photograde is one of the standard guides for grading circulated coins and The Coin Collector's Survival Manual is the one book I wish I'd read before I got back into collecting - it tells you how to go about being a collector - how to buy, how to sell, the grading services, the numismatic publications, etc.

[TomB]

You've received excellent advice on this topic. Study both original, problem-free coins and cleaned coins. Put the pieces side-by-side and you will see differences emerge.