This Coin Dipping Craze Has Now Reached Alarming Proportions

[dragon]

Firstly, I really wish someone with an F-15 Strike Eagle would fire a couple Maverick missles at the Jeweluster factory....LOLOL

 

Secondly, this new, or not so new craze for blast white (I refer to them as blast dipped) coins has resulted in so many greedy dealers and newbie collectors dipping their coins in an attempt to make them 'more market acceptable', it is truly a sad and tragic time for the hobby as well as the industry IMO. Tens of thousands of helpless coins are being irreversably damaged by the dippers, doctors, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, newbies, dealers, etc,,,,,you name it, they'll dip it and resubmit it!

 

I don't know what goes through these peoples minds other than ignorance and greed, but every experienced and knowledgeable collector knows that dipped out coins suck for the most part, and they will usually avoid them when encountered.

 

I attend a lot of shows, look at many dealers offerings on websites, on Ebay, etc, and lately I see a ton of dipped out, over dipped, re-dipped, multiple dipped, partially dipped, completely dipped, and washed out dipped coins. Why do people think that a 150 year old coin is supposed to look like a new state quarter??? It is really sad to look at an otherwise beautiful Seated dollar or Barber half or Morgan dollar or Walker, and see that parched, barren, stripped, lifeless, artificially frosty, washed out look from being dipped,,,,and once a coin is dipped like this, it will almost never regain that natural, original look even after many years and it eventually begins to retone.

 

I would also propose to NGC and PCGS that they denote the word "DIPPED" on the insert of coins that show the obvious signs of being dipped (and they are not too hard to spot), and that these coins should then trade at a discount as problem coins in the future.

 

DIPPING IS BAD, LEAVE COINS ALONE!

 

What do you think??

 

 

 

 

[keithdagen]

Yea, verily. Ugliest coin I have ever seen was a 1796 quarter in AU-58 that was so shiny it would qualify as DMPL. The way it had been dipped and worked, I doubt that it could ever retone in a way that allowed it to look natural.

[MarkFeld]

dragon,

 

I usually much prefer an original, undipped coin to a dipped one. I will buy white coins, which have likely been dipped, but I try to avoid the ones with toning/dip residue, etc. It's hard to find white coins without the various problems you mentioned and, when viewing them, I often find myself thinking "boring" or much worse.

 

If/when the tide turns back in favor of original toned coins, think how much smaller the available supply will be and enjoy the benefits of having put away original beauties.

[gmarguli]

If/when the tide turns back in favor of original toned coins, think how much smaller the available supply will be and enjoy the benefits of having put away original beauties.

 

That's OK. We can make those for you. How many do you want? Dates/denominations? What colors? One sided or two? Quantity discounts available.

[keithdagen]

That's OK. We can make those for you. How many do you want? Dates/denominations? What colors? One sided or two? Quantity discounts available.

 

Need a Seated Half Dime with Arrows, two-sided attractive multi-color toning. See my current Type set for examples. Grades AU-58 to MS-62, NGC preferred, PCGS at a slight discount.

[braddick]

That's OK. We can make those for you. How many do you want? Dates/denominations? What colors? One sided or two? Quantity discounts available.

 

Need a Seated Half Dime with Arrows, two-sided attractive multi-color toning. See my current Type set for examples. Grades AU-58 to MS-62, NGC preferred, PCGS at a slight discount.

 

"PCGS at a slight discount"

[dragon]

gmarguli and keithdagen,

 

Stop hijacking and taking my thread off course please. This isn't the PCGS forum you know, this is a forum for numismatists.

[MikeKing]

I'm sick of it myself. Really.

[keithdagen]

"PCGS at a slight discount"

 

Harder to scan a toned coin in a PCGS holder.

[keithdagen]

gmarguli and keithdagen,

 

Stop hijacking and taking my thread off course please. This isn't the PCGS forum you know, this is a forum for numismatists.

 

I already said that I'm not a fan of dipping and don't like white silver coins, unless they were minted in the last 25 years or so. Looks unnatural, and some people don't realize that the more a coin is dipped the uglier it's going to end up looking.

[TomB]

Improper dipping, or, more importantly, aggressive dipping of an improper candidate coin, has been around for a long time. The market craves bright white coins and the market will be fed these coins, whether they looked like it before the dip or not. This has happened for many years. Unfortunately, we also have many more AT coins floating around, also. Again, the market craves it. While most of us would recognize an AT coin and stay far away, there are many who would not. This is analogous to the dipped coin phenomenon. Both hurt coins, however, the numismatic community largely accepts dipping and, as such, it has been given legitimacy.

[SethChandler-migration]

Dragon,

 

In your opinion is there ANY coin that qualifies for a dipping? If so, please describe it.

 

Seth

[coinman1794]

Dragon,

 

In your opinion is there ANY coin that qualifies for a dipping? If so, please describe it.

 

Seth

 

I'm not Dragon, but I have an answer too. The only coins I would want dipped are those that are already dipped and need re-dipped because of improper rinsing, etc. So, I only believe in dipping to save the life of the coin !

[gmarguli]

I'm not Dragon, but I have an answer too. The only coins I would want dipped are those that are already dipped and need re-dipped because of improper rinsing, etc. So, I only believe in dipping to save the life of the coin !

 

 

Wouldn't you like to dip a coin with unattractive toning to make it more attractive? Quick minor dipping does no detectable harm.

[keithdagen]

I've seen some low-end MS coins that were really nice, if you could get past the black toning coating the coin. Coins like this ought to have a light dipping to freshen them up.

 

Where it goes overboard is taking nice, lightly toned coins with an original look and giving them the "brght-white bath."

[SethChandler-migration]

So are there standards on what qualifies as to dipping? Minor----whats that? What would constitute a full blown bath?

[keithdagen]

Seth,

 

I posted a pic on these boards a while back showing a nice MS Barber Dime with original rim toning, and a big fat fingerprint in black over the portrait. When sent in for Appearance Review, the coin had the fingerprint removed, but most of the rim toning was retained, allowing the coin to maintain its original feel.

 

I've seen too many coins where light golden rim toning was dipped to give a blast-white, like new look. I'm not a fan of that kind of dipping.

[gmarguli]

So are there standards on what qualifies as to dipping? Minor----whats that? What would constitute a full blown bath?

 

 

I was thinking of minor as to just remove a small amount of tone. Sometimes this type of dipping can be done with a very diluted solution.

 

Some time the coin requires several full strength dips to remove a problem.

[Elcontador]

For the same grade, I'll take a coin with russet colored toning on the rims (assuming the color is not lifeless) any day over a blast white one. In fact, I'll pay a premium for it.

 

If you want to see dipped out, dead coins, go to a large show and look at the MS 65 & 6 Seated and Trade $s. Most of them will fit this description.

 

Dragon, I don't think a seasoned numismatist can detect a coin that was properly dipped one time.

 

I had a Walker which was a perfect candidate for a dip, and it worked very well. Over 30 plus years, a yellow sulfur layer had accumulated over the coin as it sat in its 2 by 2 holder. You could see booming luster, if you could get past the yellowish crud. It might have even been bagged for "environmental damage" if I sent it in before the dip. It's now a solid MS 66 coin.

 

Like Tom B, I find a dipped-out slabbed coin as offensive as an AT coin in a slab. Craving blast white coins to dodge an AT question to me is a cop-out.

[coinman1794]

 

Wouldn't you like to dip a coin with unattractive toning to make it more attractive? Quick minor dipping does no detectable harm.

 

I am OK with a light dip and I will by coins with a light dip, but more and more, I am turning away from even that, because so many of them have proven to be unstable, and becuase, in my head, I can't seem to get past the fact that they have been dipped. However, there are instances were a light dip is better than the ugly original coin. So, a light dip is not always a bad thing.

[barberlover-migration]

just as long as people keep there dip away from barber coins everything will be o.k.

 

les

[Tradedollarnut]

I have only seen one or two dipped out MS65 trade or seated dollars. Now - if you want to add MS64 to that list, it reaches epidemic proportions!

[Leothelion]

A couple of years ago while looking over my collection, I was checking the two 56-D's I had, how I had spent $156.00 on one in a bidding war. One had 2-3 nicks on the coat and the other had ugly brown toning. I didn't like either one and was seriously thinking that I would need to upgrade that date again. But looking closer at one with the ugly brown one, it really didn't have any distracting nicks but the steps seemed to have a bridge in them. The 56-D is a tough coin to find with a full strike, that's probably why I wanted it. But the wheels started to turn in my head about cleaning (dipping) the coin. I rarely dip a coin but went ahead and was very surprised with the results. Even the steps looked sharper with full separation and now I believe I have a very nice MS65 FS 56-D coin. This 56-D came from Steve Kent. It's great when you can upgrade a coin with basically the same coin in your collection.

 

Leo

 

 

[dakra]

Dragon, I do agree with you but as I read through your message, I applied a good deal of your message to toned coins. I'm not saying all toned coins are artificial but as the demand for toned coins grow, so do the amount of coins that are artificially toned.

 

Unfortunately, if people are willing to pay good money for these type of coins (dipped/toned) these coins will continue to be manufactured by the use of chemicals and dips.

 

It's one of the reasons why I tend to avoid the toned and blast white coins.

 

-Dave

[michael]

i do not mind blast white pre 1915 silver and nickel proof coins as long as the eye appeal and flash and blast is great and the mirrors are deep clean and clear

 

non hazy and non cloudy since proof coins are supposed to highlight the mintmasters art and are/were specially made for collectors as long as the proof coins as per the above then that is okie with me

 

for ms coins they have to be totally original thick skinned white/toned and of course original thick skinned white/toned proof coins are very great also!

 

and please all

keep dipping all those business strike/proof coins and ruining many!! it makes the original ones only better!

 

sincerely michael

 

 

 

[lclugza]

What some don't realize is that it only takes a year, or two, or three, to impart natural toning on a coin. I had a GSA dollar cracked out years ago (I guess that makes me one of the first "crack-out artists," even though I don't care too much for crackout guys). I put plastic wrap where the hard plastic had been. It went from pure white to very colorfully toned in two or three years! Another white silver eagle wasn't properly sealed in its flip, and you should have seen the pretty colors it toned in only a few months! On neither of these was the toning intentional.

[BillJones]

I'd say the whole concept of changing coin colors is out of control. Some collectors are nuts for toned pieces; others want blast white. In the middle are the coin doctors who are fooling with many pieces to make them "market acceptable." Each time they fool them, they ruin or remove a little more metal and remove a little or a lot more of the mint surface.

 

Please guys, take the coins as they come! Dipping is really the only acceptable coin restoration procedure, and it should only be done if the tonin is farily light and surface of a Mint State coin is really ugly or if what is there is damaging the piece.

[EZ_E]

re:In your opinion is there ANY coin that qualifies for a dipping? If so, please describe it.

 

Seth

 

I agree that in most instances dipping is bad news, however, I just had tremendous results with casino one dollar gaming tokens struck in metal. Growing up in Vegas, I had accumulated quite a few of them, yet, most were dull with fingerprints all over them. After giving them a quick dip, they turned out beautiful. Every single one of them were improved drastically with no negative impact! Even the Treasure Island brass-like token was restored to mint state condition.

 

I do have some AU Barbers bought as a newbie that were so over-dipped that not a trace of luster remains. It's sad. Such nice coins were ruined at least for my generation.

 

Dipping copper? Forget it!

[bmwrider-migration]

I find that the thought that my original toned coins will remain valuable and indeed, increase in value, a comforting thought. By the way, the top two third-party graders will not encapsulate a dipped coin.

[Tradedollarnut]

By the way, the top two third-party graders will not encapsulate a dipped coin.

 

 

huh? This statement is absolutely false!