Grading Terms

Conshyboy

Does "recolored" on a slab mean the same as "cleaned"? My collection has always been raw and only started buying slabbed coins recently,so some of the terminology is unfamiliar to me.

OAKSTAR

I don't think so. But it does apparently mean detailed or damaged.

This one was in a folder for over 40 years. It was never touch or tampered with to my knowledge. I didn't think it would come back recolored or detailed.

MFeld

@OAKSTAR said:
I don't think so. But it does apparently mean detailed or damaged.

This one was in a folder for over 40 years. It was never touch or tampered with to my knowledge. I didn't think it would come back recolored or detailed.

“Recolored” doesn’t mean the same thing as “cleaned”, “detailed” or “damaged”. It typically refers to altering the color of a coin in order to try to make it look more natural - often in the case of copper coins that have been dipped, first.

“Details” grades are given to coins with issues, such as cleaning, damage, recoloring, questionable color, altered surfaces, etc.

OAKSTAR

Thanks @MFeld 👍

Conshyboy

Yes, thank you @MFeld

Insider3

@MFeld said:

@OAKSTAR said:
I don't think so. But it does apparently mean detailed or damaged.

This one was in a folder for over 40 years. It was never touch or tampered with to my knowledge. I didn't think it would come back recolored or detailed.

“Recolored” doesn’t mean the same thing as “cleaned”, “detailed” or “damaged”. It typically refers to altering the color of a coin in order to try to make it look more natural - often in the case of copper coins that have been dipped, first.

“Details” grades are given to coins with issues, such as cleaning, damage, recoloring, questionable color, altered surfaces, etc.

I'd like to add a little to your answer for the new folks.

When a coin is struck it has a particular color based on its composition. From then on, its color is subject to change. This can happen naturally or artificially. Chemical cleaning can change its natural color at any time. This cleaning can be harmful or not (conservation). When harmful chemical cleaning changes its color most call the result "artificial color." When harmful mechanical cleaning changes its color the coin is "cleaned." When a person tries to restore a coin to a "market acceptable" color and it is detected, the coin is "recolored." Believe it or not, there is an art to recoloring a coin so it is not detected. Thus, a name for this is not needed. Everything you need to know about turning an unnatural "pink" copper cent to a pleasing natural brown is in books.

The best way to detect altered, cleaned, and recolored coins (aside from your own experiments) is to study natural, untoned coins.