Does this coin appear cleaned? A new member to the forum
Avocet
Posts: 226 ✭✭✭✭
Hi all;
I am new to this forum but an old collector. A friend (@asheland) suggested that I join up, and I am glad I did. I wanted to share this Seated Liberty with you and get your comments— I am thinking about submitting this for grading--> I purchased it from a local dealer many years ago. I suspect the coin has been cleaned, but I am curious what you think.
The topic of cleaning is very interesting in that seems many collectors long ago tended to clean valuable coins-- this must have been more common up until the 1980s when grading services emerged. From what I have read, some estimate that up to 90% of Lincoln cents from 1910-1930 sold in the marketplace in 1960 had been dipped. The discussion about the type of cleaning, improper versus never, is interesting. The position "never clean" makes sense to me, but times were different in the late 1800s early 1900s.
Thanks for your comments about this coin and cleaning. I will probably submit this coin and will let you know how it turns out. I am also learning how to photograph coins, so apologies here...
Comments
It's suspect...
Yes from the pictures it does appear cleaned to me.
Young Numismatist/collector
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Welcome Kent! I’m glad to see you here!
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The areas in front of Ms Liberty's face and above the eagles wing appear wiped. That might be die polish marks which are raised and impossible to confirm in a photo. For starters you have to determine if they extend to the raised features of the coin. That will tell you if wiping was involved.
Yes IMO, it was cleaned.
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
@Avocet.... Welcome aboard. Nice pictures.... Your coin 'appears' to have been cleaned at some point... In hand evaluation would be more accurate. Cheers, RickO
I think so.
Looks like it to me too. The hairlines on the obverse @10:00 among the stars and above her shoulder and reverse to the left of eagle and above the head seem to indicate abrasive activity.
Welcome to the forum!
might just have bean polished based on the scratches but anyway, looks to me like the surface has been altered.
Shame since it would otherwise be a vary cool coin not cleaned. 😔
Hard to tell without having the coin in hand but I'd say die polishing and wiped in the past. Locks like some of both from the photos. With less than 250 graded by PCGS including resubmissions it isn't the easiest seated dollar to find. It's a nice coin that I would be happy to have in my collection. Welcome aboard.
it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide
Maybe it wasn't cleaned but it is very badly scratched. And PVC problems too.
Does appear to have been wiped or lightly cleaned as already mentioned.
I think that it has had some spots rubbed off above Ms Liberty’s shoulder, around her feet a base and on the reverse above the Eagle’s and left wing. There could be other hairlines that are covered by the toning. I learned that can happened many years ago. As one other thread title said,”Once cleaned, always cleaned,” if there are hairlines present.
No doubt it's been cleaned
Obviously imo
and to my eyes pretty harshly
Possibly, although what I'm seeing really could be die polish. I wouldn't kick it out of my type set album, that's for sure.
These lines appear to go right through the devices, hairlines will have sort of a shadow in the protected areas. That's not to say the coin isn't cleaned, just that there seems to be some die polish scratches going on.
Collector, occasional seller
...any friend of @asheland is a friend of mine...welcome to CU
That is an interesting find and your analysis makes sense. The judgment about cleaning is a bit like 'forensic numismatics -- fascinating stuff. Even if cleaned, I enjoy this coin a great deal. Thanks for taking a look at this!
Asheland is a great friend and a wise resource. Thank you for the welcome to the forum!
Thank you for taking a look-- your thoughts match my impression. It is interesting to think that the cleaning might have happened in the early 1900s...
IMO ... it looks like it was cleaned!
Welcome to the forums
It has definitely been cleaned in the past and an eraser may have been used. The reverse from 9:00 to 1:00 is heavily and uniformly disturbed and the obverse is the same from 10:00 to 12:00. The alteration is consistent with what an eraser and a heavy hand might produce.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Yes, cleaned. If you look closely, you can see some of the hairlines extending through the letters "U N" in the closeup. Die polish lines would stop at the edges of the details.
mbogoman
https://pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/classic-issues-colonials-through-1964/zambezi-collection-trade-dollars/7345Asesabi Lutho
looks whizzed
Yup, looked cleaned
Any chance you can post pictures with different lighting?
Collector, occasional seller
@Avocet Post that $2.50 liberty! The forums would like that one I'd bet!
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Thanks man!
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I will do that soon-- Thanks @ashleland!
Yes-- I will get on that-- thanks for taking a look at this...
Here are two new images which were taken with indirect lighting and significant diffusion-- the first set of images had direct lighting at an angle, and the direct lighting seems to show scratches more clearly. The new images complement the first set-- I can still make out scratches with indirect lighting, but it is a bit harder to see. The lighting technique seems to make a big difference for sure. What do you think?
The coin is the coin. If you change the lighting then you can make issues or features harder to see in images, but they are still there in-hand. It's been cleaned.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Welcome!
I believe the term processed might be more fitting rather than dissect degrees of cleaning
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Agree - cleaned. Welcome to the forum.
"A dog breaks your heart only one time and that is when they pass on". Unknown
I see hairlining so I believe it's been cleaned.
And BTW-welcome! We're glad to have ya!
Yes, to the question of a cleaning. TomB may be right about an eraser as it has that look. Asheland is a good guy to know too.
www.brunkauctions.com
Another way of deciphering is intent.
Onthis example there are many areas where someone wanted to remove something on the surface in order to clean it up. While doing that they ruined the surfaces of the coin and were ultimately unsuccessful. The coin appears to be forever ruined