Where do you draw the line between curating and doctoring?

Barry

An earlier thread questioning sending a coin to NCS made me wonder...
Is there a fine line between "curating" and "doctoring," are they one and the same, or is there a big difference? How do you define each term and which, if either, is acceptable to you?

Julian

Doctoring has a negative connotation. It can include removing marks, recoloring; really anything that is done to deceive and make the coin appear better than it is. Curating, although a relatively new term, I believe is just removing surface contaminants, such as PVC and in the case of the Central America coins, formations that had formed on the surface of the coins. It would not include re-anything else to the coin. It would just be removing something from the surface. Those are my thoughts. NCS & others may have different ideas.

greghansen

I view curating as the safe & scientific REMOVAL of contaminants or surface agents which may harm the coin if left unattended OR which detract from the coins NATURAL beauty. It also encompases the preservation or neutralizing of the coins surface to prevent future degradation.

I view doctoring as the INTENTIONAL ADDITION of agents or processes to a coins surface with the desire cause a NEW reaction on the surface of the coin. This covers most artificial toning situations. Doctoring would also enclude a whole seperate area of moving metal about on the coins surface (added mint marks, tooling, etc.).

I have no problem with true curation. In fact, I believev collectors have a duty to preserve their rare coins, which are historical artifacts, in such a manner to prevent their deterioration over time. I do not understand a position which urges a coin owner to take NO PROTECTIVE action, when a coin has surface contaminants which have/or will damage the coins surfaces.

Bear

Curating is all about removing or mitigatin the negetives of a coin. Doctoring is placing positives

such as toning by artificial means.One method preserves a coin, the other damages the coin thru

artificial enhancement.

Gilbert

The line for me is that doctoring is adding to or changing the physical characteristics of the coin, with the one exception of removing contaminants. I confess this may be an oversimplistic statement that doesn't account for every conceivable circumstance, but, generally I think it is illustrative of what I would consider to be the difference between curating (conservation) and doctoring (manipulation).

braddick

I agree with all of you. There certainly is a distinction and a pretty wide one at that.