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Post any images of coins that have been "Soap and Watered." For educational purposes.

Billet7Billet7 Posts: 4,923 ✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum
Problem free, by anyones definition (PCGS VF20) but I would imagine this coins has undergone a "soap and water" treatment at some point in it's life. Post any coins that you feel have undergone the same form of "sprucing up," for educational purposes.
imageimage

Comments

  • shottakershottaker Posts: 309
    I have almost a half bag of wheats someoone soaped & watered. When I go back to the store Mondy I'll snap a photo. Huge pile of yuck!
  • ksteelheaderksteelheader Posts: 11,777 ✭
    Please explain "soaped and watered".
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,358 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Please explain "soaped and watered". >>



    I assume he means a coin that has been washed with soap and water.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • Billet7Billet7 Posts: 4,923 ✭✭✭
    People would take coins and wash them with soap and water, softly and usually with their fingers. This would clean the coin, without damaging it too much.
  • shottakershottaker Posts: 309
    The lincolns brought in the other day had dish soap used on them. YUCK. PINK/ORANGE ugly!
    Had to almost give away the 09-s as it had a wire brush used on it also.

    The stuff people do in the pursuit of more money. The gist of the call to our shop was they had a bag of mixed BU wheat cents. I have seen such bags and I know that up until at least a few years ago a place in New york still advertised put together bags made with various common date rolls. So they come in and every one had been turned this nasty rotted carrot color. Most were average circ anyway so no biggie.
  • gripgrip Posts: 9,962 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Poor Lincoln.Now hes getting the waterboard treatmentimage
  • BochimanBochiman Posts: 25,446 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I have almost a half bag of wheats someoone soaped & watered. When I go back to the store Mondy I'll snap a photo. Huge pile of yuck! >>


    When I was a kid, and new to coin collecting, my neighbors taught me how to use lemon juice to make the wheaties look all new.... image

    I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment

  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,239 ✭✭✭✭✭
    My guess is this piece was "soap and watered" many years ago. It's still a very nice early dollar.

    imageimage
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • DaveGDaveG Posts: 3,535 ✭
    I've only used soap (Ivory) and water on gold coins and I've only soaked them.

    The only result I could see was that the top layer of dirt was gone and the luster that dirt had hidden was revealed.

    I'd be surprised if a careful application of soap and water would change the color of a gold or silver coin.

    the OP's 1820 quarter looks to me like it was dipped and has retoned.

    Personally, I wouldn't call it "problem free", but perhaps it looks better in person.

    Check out the Southern Gold Society

  • WegWeg Posts: 544
    What are the signs on these that make you believe they were cleaned. Is it because the flat, open areas are clean and the areas that are tight such as between letters are not? Tight areas where the "crud" can not be easily touched?
    Remember, I'm pullen for ya; we're all in this together.---Red Green---
  • Billet7Billet7 Posts: 4,923 ✭✭✭
    From what I understand coins that have been "soap and watered" (which I always thought to be a fairly common term) dealt with coins that have been cleaned with soap and water. It was a common practice in the 50's and 60's, and you find it evidenced on many pre-1900 silver coins, capped bust halves especially. From what I gather, this technique, if done correctly will remove toning and surface dirt and grime, but limit the amount of silver that is removed. This was aparently an alternative to using harsh chemicals that actually strip the surface of the coins. If done gently, hairlines are minimal as well.

    The effect is a coin that tones to a very dead-gray color, and is mostly devoid of toning patterns. This also causes many coins to retain much of the toning around the devices, but remove the toning in the unprotected fields and on the devices themselves.

    Anyone who has additional, or contradictory information, is free to comment.
  • ProofArtworkonCircsProofArtworkonCircs Posts: 4,223 ✭
    <<My guess is this piece was "soap and watered" many years ago. It's still a very nice early dollar>>

    My gosh! She has a face on her left breast. I see 2 eyes, a dislocated nose and a mouth.
  • CHAMELEONCHAMELEON Posts: 479


    << <i>

    << <i>I have almost a half bag of wheats someoone soaped & watered. When I go back to the store Mondy I'll snap a photo. Huge pile of yuck! >>


    When I was a kid, and new to coin collecting, my neighbors taught me how to use lemon juice to make the wheaties look all new.... image >>



    The spicy sauce from Taco Bell is supposed to do the same thing. I believe the citric acid removes any gunk.
    Take a look at all the colorful coins at Chameleon Coins
  • LeeGLeeG Posts: 12,162 ✭
    image


    image
    image
  • jhdflajhdfla Posts: 3,030 ✭✭✭


    << <i>My guess is this piece was "soap and watered" many years ago. It's still a very nice early dollar.

    imageimage >>



    A very nice dollar Bill, and that's a great strike as well.

    john
    SeatedQuarters
  • MoonwinxMoonwinx Posts: 66
    All seem to have telltale odd, soapy colors.
    image

    I have collected U.S coins for many years, and then Civil War Tokens, but am now actively building a collection of 18th Century Conder Tokens, the coins that made the Industrial Revolution a whopping success. : )
  • golfer72golfer72 Posts: 3,588
    That Bust quarter was slabbed? Thats too bad.
  • LongacreLongacre Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
    I have knowingly purchased "soaped and watered" gold in the past and did not have a problem with it.
    Always took candy from strangers
    Didn't wanna get me no trade
    Never want to be like papa
    Working for the boss every night and day
    --"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
  • ElKevvoElKevvo Posts: 4,121 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I soaped and watered my circ Walkers. When I took them out of the Whitman blue book to put them in a Dansco they had sort of a sticky feel to them so I rubbed them with dish soap and water to clean what ever had come from the blue folder off of them. They are none the worse for it and look the same now as they did a few years ago when I did this.

    K
    ANA LM
  • gripgrip Posts: 9,962 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A new twist on "soap and watered"...About eight years ago i was leaving on vacation and had to
    catch a plane out of state,and at the last minute realized i haden't put my coins
    into the SDB.I was running out of time and figured the best place would be in the
    washing machine with dirty laundry on top of them..Out the door and gone.

    When i returned i had to wash the dirty clothes that were already in there before
    i could wash the ones from vacation.I started the washer and went out back to
    do some necessary plant watering.When i came back in i heard this aweful clunking sound.
    I finally realized my coins were in the machine.All in PCGS blue boxes and
    only could think the worst.

    Drained the washing machine and to my surprise not one slab had leaked.

    Moral of the story,besides being lucky.Buy PCGS slabed coins


    image
  • Billet7Billet7 Posts: 4,923 ✭✭✭


    << <i>That Bust quarter was slabbed? Thats too bad. >>



    Not very good pics, it is actually quite a nice coin in my opinion, I just think it has had a soap and water treatment.

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