World Coin Clinic: Should Coins be Cleaned?
Cleaning, tooling, and other surface alterations can permanently affect a coin’s grade and value, but problem coins may still have a place in some collections.
What happens if someone tools or smooths the surface of a coin?
Each of these alterations is invasive. They may involve moving, removing, or adding metal to the surfaces. Such efforts are typically attempted when someone is hoping to increase the condition and the value of a coin artificially. Properly conserved coins are recognized as having been conserved but tend to command a better price than coins that have been identified as tooled or smoothed.
Is it true that all ancient coins have been cleaned or enhanced, considering that they are discovered in the ground?
I can’t vouch that all ancient coins have been found in the ground or that being in the ground has caused problems for the surfaces of those coins in every situation. It is common for coins discovered in this environment to have dirt and possibly minerals. The extent to which these coins need such materials removed may or may not fit the typical expectations of a coin having been cleaned or enhanced.
I see cleaned coins graded by third-party certification services as “genuine, cleaned” and say something such as, “AU Detail.” Realizing that cleaning a coin reduces the value of the coin, is there a rule of thumb for how much the value is reduced?
There is no “rule of thumb” on pricing for coins that have been identified as cleaned but are net graded. The “detail” identifies the condition the coin would likely have been assigned should it not have been subjected to cleaning. Eye appeal becomes an important factor if you are considering purchasing a coin identified as cleaned. Does the coin still have eye appeal, or does it look like someone cleaned it with a wire brush? The re-toning color on copper coins is particularly noticeable; however, re-toned silver will never match natural toning either.
It seems that coins identified as having been cleaned could become an opportunity to fill in a blank in my collection at a lower cost for a good-looking coin. Could this make sense?
Your budget and your concern for the future resale value of such a coin must both be considered. If you are seeking an expensive rarity to complete a collection, a coin that has been cleaned may fit your budget, while a coin that has never been manipulated may be out of your reach. If you can afford a coin that has never been cleaned, it is more likely to have an appreciating resale value at some future date. Personally, I would recommend avoiding coins that have been cleaned if you can afford better.
Are there other reasons, other than cleaning, that could be the reason a coin has been net graded?
Cleaning is only one of several manipulations to which a coin may have been subjected. The coin might have been dipped, smoothed, or retooled. A coin might be identified as having been damaged. Any of these scenarios will result in a coin being assigned a net grade if it is examined by a third-party certification service. In some instances, the service may decline to encapsulate the coin, while in other instances, the service may explain its opinion on the information insert accompanying the slab.
E-mail inquiries to Giedroyc@Bright.net. Because of space limitations, we are unable to publish all questions.
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