Would you buy a coin that had been cleaned?

samingeorgia

I'm looking at a key date coin that has obviously been cleaned in the past. What is left of the toning is on the reverse and really streaky. But the price is cheap.


Would you??

ER

I would say yes for key dates, no for common. JMO.

ColonialCoinUnion

Probably not, unless it fell into one of 3 categories:

1) It was an extraordinary rarity that I was unlikely to ever find in better condition, or
2) It was lightly cleaned and still pleasing in appearance, or
3) It was so cheap that it didn't matter

ldhair

If it were something really rare and I felt I might never find or afford a better one, I might.

If I bought it I would do so knowing I might never get my money back out of it and that it could be hard to sell.

If the coin is ugly I would never buy it. Cleaned and ugly don't do much for me.

Hedger

No, not me. Even with key dates the value is severely lessend.

LeeG

No. With time and patience a nice, uncleaned, coin CAN be found. "The Joy Is In The Search". Lee


Edited to Add: "Welcome"!!!!!!!!!!!

Coinhusker1

What ER and CCU said.

If it is lightly cleaned and pleasing in appearance, and you get a great price (say an AU coin for F money) it more likely than not will hold its value.

darktone

Some series it's pretty hard to find uncleaned coins. mike

Rampage

I would and I have. But the prices have been very, VERY, cheap. The coins were for varieties, not really super rare key coins, but good finds to say the least. The prices for the AU/BU coins were "junk" silver prices. So, in cases like that, you are almost guaranteed to come out ahead if you decide to sell them. At least that is my opinion.

Nysoto

All of us have bought cleaned coins, knowingly or unknowingly.

Bill

BillJones

It all depends upon what the coin is and weather or not you can find or afford anything better.

It also depends upon the nature of the cleaning. If it is a Mint State or Choice AU silver coin that has been dipped and not dipped severely, it could be OK in any case at low Mint State money. If it is a circulated coin it probably looks like the devil. If it is a copper coin, I'd say away unless it is dirt cheap.

If the surfaces have polished or whizzed or profoundly altered, the coin would have to be DIRT CHEAP.

I don't have enough info to to guide you. What's the date, mint and series?

CarlWohlforth

I wouldn't want a key date coin if it was obviously cleaned. A while back I sold a cleaned Saint that is now worth more than I sold it for just in bullion value...

RobJoyce1921dVAMguy

I've bought cleaned VAMs as reference coins and starter coins, upgrading if/when when I discovered problem free coins.

The major coin shows always have several 1893-S silver dollars to choose from, many cleaned. Show me an 1878 VAM-44, cleaned or uncleaned, at a show and I'll be surprised. There are several varieties I've been searching for many years without luck.

In -some- cases cleaned coins are not a bad answer. The trick is knowing when you should buy and when you shoudl run!

Rob

samingeorgia

Well, I probably shouldn't say that it's a true "key date" - in fact as I now look at my Red Book I see that it isn't key at all.

It's a 1937-S WL half, but even though it isn't real rare I haven't run across one.

It would grade out at AU ( $60 per Red Book ) but I think I can get it for $ 10 - $ 15.

If nothing else, it would fill a hole in my album.

I don't buy coins to resell but obviously don't wanna "get took" either. My philosophy on selling my collection is that I'd sell if the Sheriff was about to put my furniture on the sidewalk.

By the way, THANKS everybody for the responses!!!!

ziggy29

I think CCU is right on the money. If a coin were dirt cheap, lightly cleaned and looked like it might retone decently (and possibly already starting to do so), it might be worth considering. If they're asking too much for it, if it's harshly cleaned, polished or whizzed...forget it.