Can one tell from a picture telltale signs of cleaning?

RTS

From just a picture (please refer to enclosed picture) can one tell if a coin is naturally just bright or if there are any telltale signs of a cleaning?

PerryHall

A 173 year old silver coin should not be white like this coin. As a minimum I'd say it was dipped.

Cladiator

Not harshly cleaned but definitely dipped.

RKKay

I agree, but don't count on a picture to give you answers. Remember, the seller controls what you see and may be hiding the bad parts of the coin through lighting, angle, focus or doctoring the picture.

mercurydimeguy

This is not a photo but a scan. Scans tend to hide hairlines, and also dull the coin so if it has been polished you wouldn't know by looking at a scan.

If you want my honest opinion the coin looks like it has altered surfaces (be it polished or whizzed, or cleaned). See how there is no metal flow lines around the bust (it's flat/dull in the fields) but as you get closer to/around the stars and rim there is some evidence of flow lines? A coin in this purported state of preservation should exhibit some flow lines.

Just my 10 cents

Heywood

I was also thinking flow lines-

you can see them between the stars and rim, but not in fields.

I would guess dipped with light rub cleaning

IrishMike

Copper is sometimes obvious like this coin, which the dealer is convinced is au natural. I bought it anyway. Silver you sometimes need to tilt under a good light like halogen.

LanLord

What has been said above.

A picture can also hide myriad problems that you could see if you could simply turn the coin in the light if you had it in hand.

Pictures are okay, but not great as grading tools.

michael

Can one tell from a picture telltale signs of cleaning?


sometimes but it depends on the coin type biz strike or proof and lighting etc

Barry

<< <i>I was also thinking flow lines-

you can see them between the stars and rim, but not in fields. >>


I believe those are die fatigue lines, not flow lines. Fairly common on Bust coinage, like this:

michael

From just a picture (please refer to enclosed picture)

overdipped WAY overdipped and harshly chemically cleaned and also a wipe job