What exactly is a "wiping" and is it less significant than an abrasive cleaning (half eagl

Longacre

Does anyone know exactly what constitutes a wiping and how significant is this in the spectrum of coin cleaning? Here is a coin I was taking a look at, which looks quite nice.

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Half Eagles
COIN 1813 Breen 1-B. Rarity-6.
DESCRIPTION A rare variety, best identified by the first S in STATES being centered over the E of E PLURIBUS UNUM below. Attractive light yellow gold with generous peripheral lustre for the grade. Some central hairlines are noted, perhaps from a light wiping long ago, but no major nicks or defects stand out. Well struck, especially bold on the eagle and shield, a perfect type coin for a set that has grown to encompass the rare US gold issues before 1834.

coinguy1

I generally think of the term "wiping" as signifying a light wipe with a soft cloth which results in a disturbance (light, but noticeable hairlines, etc.) to a coin's surface.

bestclser1

Great looking early gold.

partagas

Its a fancy less harsh way of saying lightly cleaned.

ziggy29

<< <i>Its a fancy less harsh way of saying lightly cleaned. >>

Agreed, but usually without chemicals or other abrasive agents.

lkenefic

So a "wiping" would be less noticeable on a circulated coin than on a mid to high MS coin?

ziggy29

<< <i>So a "wiping" would be less noticeable on a circulated coin than on a mid to high MS coin? >>

I would usually think so. In fact, well-circulated coins with a lot of crud on them may look much nicer after a gentle wiping (and perhaps soaking in olive oil or something like that). As long as one doesn't use chemicals or anything abrasive, anyway.

coinguy1

<< <i>So a "wiping" would be less noticeable on a circulated coin than on a mid to high MS coin? >>

I think it would depend upon the darkness/color of the coin - if the circulated coin were dark and dull, for example, the shiny/lighter area that could result from a wipe might "stick out like a sore thumb".

BillJones

"Wiping" is a very light rubbing on the surfaces, usually done to make the coin look brighter. The amount of negativity connected with it depends on how severe it is.

I'd take a lightly wiped early gold coin over these coins that have gotten the NCS treatment. A lot of those gold coins look like they have cleaned with Brasso. In others words what they do is the pits IMO.

Leiana

So is wiping similar to thumbing?

-Amanda

Cladiator

Wiped or not, that coin is incredible.

BillJones

<< <i>So is wiping similar to thumbing?

-Amanda >>



No thumbing as to do with using human hand greese to hide marks. Wiping is generally a dry operation.

cointagious

<< <i>So is wiping similar to thumbing?

-Amanda >>




No. Thumbing is essentially adding oil to the surface to fill the minute hairlines caused by wiping. In a way, using Blue Ribbon on copper could be considered thumbing.

Leiana

<< <i>

<< <i>So is wiping similar to thumbing?

-Amanda >>



No thumbing as to do with using human hand greese to hide marks. Wiping is generally a dry operation. >>



Okay. Thank you!

-Amanda

elwood

<< <i>No thumbing as to do with using human hand greese to hide marks. >>



Or nose grease.

mirabela

I think of wiping as a cleaning light enough to leave most of the original surface on the coin. Most noticeable on things with somewhat PL surfaces in the first place. It's a negative. Not as big a one as a worse cleaning, but I don't care for it. I rejected an otherwise very wonderful NGC 58 CC $20 last winter on account of very light hairlining from exactly that.

rhedden

If you want to see some wiped coins, go shopping for circulated Bust and Seated coins. A very large percentage of them have the dreaded hairlines, even if the toning looks original. I hate wiped coins with a passion. I reject them immediately when buying at a show, and any wiped piece I receive from an online transaction is immediately returned to the seller.

MrSpud

I hate it when you look at a coin at a coin show with poor or flourescent lighting and it looks good and then you bring it home and under an incadescent light you can see all those light hairlines when you tilt the coin under the light.

rhedden

I hate it when you look at a coin at a coin show with poor or flourescent lighting and it looks good and then you bring it home and under an incadescent light you can see all those light hairlines when you tilt the coin under the light.

There is nothing in numismatics that makes me more angry than getting burned in this way. The worst part about it is that you know the dealer was fully aware of the wiping, yet he/she looked you in the eye and took your money with no mention of it whatsoever. I make a note of such dealers and don't buy from them again. There are times when one just can't see the hairlines thanks to the lighting. Coins like that should be marked "cleaned" on the 2x2 at the very least, but honesty is bad for business.

stman

<< <i>There are times when one just can't see the hairlines thanks to the lighting. Coins like that should be marked "cleaned" on the 2x2 at the very least, but honesty is bad for business. >>



Agreed, but I didn't know the TPG hairlined coins had them in 2x2's? For those that don't get what I mean...... many/most Bust coins will have some kind of hairlining and will indeed be slabbed without it being noted.

mirabela

<< <i>many/most Bust coins will have some kind of hairlining and will indeed be slabbed without it being noted >>



Oh, absolutely. It isn't just bust stuff, either. Seated, gold, Barbers, even 20th century stuff, especially key dates. It happens all the time. This, IMO, is one of the biggest dangers when buying from auction online from outfits like TT, Heritage, etc. There is basically no way to know without the coin in hand, and w/o a return policy (or with one, but with a 10% "restocking fee" or whatever they call it) you can really get killed.

IrishMike

There must be a proper way to wipe a coin, as I have one that has "improper wiping" on the slab.