Grading cleaned coins

CHESSNUTDOG

Im a newbie to this, but will NCG or PCGS slab a cleaned and retoned coin? Im really confused about this. Havent most of the beautiful toned classics..ie bust halves etc at one time been cleaned? I thought you had to send them to ANACS to have them net graded....Thanks, MIke

my3cents

depends on the population of the particular coin you are submitting

coinguy1

Mike, they do grade / slab cleaned coins, to a point.

This is obviously a generalization, but, once the cleaning is too harsh and they would have to net grade the coin down to a grade that would seem / look silly, they will usually no-grade the coin.

For instance, if you have a very lightly cleaned AU coin, they might still holder it as an AU. At a certain point, a cleaning of an AU coin might warrant a downgrade to an XF. But, if the coin is so heavily cleaned that it would require a net grade down to a VF or lower, to account for the cleaning, it will probably be no-graded, instead.

A similar line of reasoning can be applied to many Mint State and Proof coins, as well.

If a cleaned coin retones to a fairly (to highly) unnatural / artificial appearance, the coin is likely to be body-bagged for cleaning or questionable color.