Is this Capped Bust Half Dollar Cleaned?

janeway1153red

Hi all! I collected coins as a kid and have recently taken the hobby back up. I have one old capped bust half dollar from childhood that I know for sure is cleaned. It's in a PCGS slab as such, and has an unnatural brilliance to it. There is also this one below, which does not look like the half dollar I know for sure is cleaned; the capped bust pictured below isn't so unnaturally bright, but it's possible it was cleaned differently (or not as harshly). Go easy on me, still learning what to watch out for. If it is cleaned, and I'm guessing it is, what tipped you off? There's also a scratch on the obverse just above the '3', so cleaned or not I'm fairly sure it wouldn't straight grade. Thanks for taking a look! Please let me know if the images don't come through since this is a new account.

Treashunt

Welcome to the boards.

I believe cleaned, just because the color us unnatural.

But wait there's more:

Someone else will have a better answer.

janeway1153red

@Treashunt said:
Welcome to the boards.

I believe cleaned, just because the color us unnatural.

But wait there's more:

Someone else will have a better answer.

Thanks for your input! To me, the color looked weirdly grey instead of silver, but my crummy photography could be partly to blame.

Treashunt

well, good luck.

Bust $1/2's are a great collection to start...

But!
They are addictive

coinbuf

That is not a natural look for a silver coin that old, from these photos it appears it has been messed with in the past.

MsMorrisine

flat uniform dull color

janeway1153red

@MsMorrisine said:
flat uniform dull color

Thanks! Does seem like odd color weird even just picturing normal circulation in pocket change. I know the composition is different than modern coinage, but there's something unnatural about it. Appreciate the help!

stman

As others have said unnatural look. I’m sure if tilted in the light hairlines may show. Reverse Above the eagle would be a good place to start.

airplanenut

To be worn that much, the coin would have circulated quite a bit and picked up some dirt in that time. That the coin lacks that dirt and dark color is the tip that the color isn't natural. Now maybe it was cleaned in a non-abrasive manner (in which case there won't be hairlines), but I can't tell that from the picture. At best the coin has been tampered with and the color is not natural, at worst it was cleaned and hairlines are present.

When considering whether a coin is original, the best first question to ask is what would have to happen for the coin to look like this. If there isn't a good way for it to be the color it is, you know something's going on. A great example of natural, untoned coins that are old would be Morgan dollars. Tons of them sat in the middle of bags in vaults for decades, and they never came into contact with anything that would impart color onto their surfaces.

bsshog40

Looks like an over-dipped coin to me.

ricko

@janeway1153red ... Welcome aboard... The coin looks as if it has been over dipped.... Now, in hand, it may have hairlines and the appearance is due to cleaning.... Hard to determine exactly from the pictures. Cheers, RickO