Need advice for cleaning this Trade Dollar
Romankow
Posts: 114 ✭✭✭
I am going to crack this Trade Dollar from its holder, and want to clean it gently to get rid of the dirt and stains. It is going to go in my type collection.
I have never cleaned a coin before, and I'm generally not a proponent of it, but I've decided that I want to do it for this one.
Can you give me your opinions on how it should be done?
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Comments
I can't see a coin
Brillo pad works well.
You need to post the pic.
Don't.
bob
Then the cleaning was too harsh.
DeWalt angle grinder
If you have never done it before then I would say don't do it. Sell that one and buy another one that you would be happy with how it is. Besides it is kind of hard to recommend anything without seeing the coin. If you do clean it, just be prepared to not get near what you paid for it when you decide to sell it because you are most likely going to ruin the coin.
IF and only if you are set on breaking the coin out.
try this First, soak in acetone.
send it to NGC or PCGS for conservation service. Or buy a different one
You guys sure take the fun out of stuff.
+1
POST NUBILA PHOEBUS / AFTER CLOUDS, SUN
Love for Music / Collector of Dreck
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Anything other than an acetone soak will ruin the coin. Hardware store quality acetone- not nail polish remover quality. I doubt much will change- the coin looks fine as is. As suggested already, if you want something cleaner or shinier than buy a higher grade coin or buy an already certified details graded cleaned coin.
Gotta say I like the look of that coin. Dip it in acetone and rinse thoroughly if you really must. But anything more than that will remove 140 years of character and charm.
--Severian the Lame
don't do it - if you get dirt off around devices it will look very unnatural with different colors where the dirt was.
You own it. Do whatever you want. Just realize if you clean it, its value to anyone else will drop tremendously.
Please - just don't do it.
If you don't like that coin...leave it alone and find another! Many others I'm sure would like it!
Gorgeous example of a non-molested pocket carried piece. Used in commerce 125 years ago. Do not clean that coin. Just go buy one that is already cleaned for your book, if you must. But, then why would anyone want to devalue their assets and ruin it for the next collector (you won't live forever I suspect).
bob
Hard to tell from a photo of course, but what you consider “dirt” may very well be original patina. I would suggest leaving as is. A coin is original only once. Good luck
The coin is perfect as is and does not need a cleaning or an Acetone soak. Acetone is not going to remove the stains on the coin or the toning, but you can use an Acetone soak and pat dry with soft cloth without doing any cleaning damage to the coin.
If want to go foward with cleaning coins do some serious studing on cleaning coins, then buy some junk silver and pratice cleaning, soaking or dipping before turning your Trade Dollar into a cleaned coin and decreasing the value.
I agree as noted if your not happy with the coin sell it, and buy one you like.
To me that is a look I like and would expect in a moderately circulated Trade dollar. A perfect example for the grade that it is. Leave it alone in my opinion.
acetone $14.00, cleaning cloths $4.00, soft water rinse $2.00 Perfectly aged coin PRICELESS. You run the risk of doing serious damage to that coin. PCGS and NGC both have conservation services available from seriously skilled and capable experts for about the same price really . NGC charges 4% or $25.00 whichever is greater. Not sure about price from PCGS but I would think about the same.
I get that you want your coins to have clean shiny eye appeal, I do too. The ones I want to keep in my lifetime personal collection that I just had to have shiny, I sent to conservation even though I've dipped, skimmed cleaned whizzed scrubbed and otherwise ruined about 150 coins in my lifetime. None of which I now have in my personal collections.
Beside that, all those hidden scars and nicks will stand out like logs in a log jam, and once that bell is rung, it can not be unrung. And that sure as heck looks like a double die strike on the 1 and 8.
Bob Sr. CEO Fieldtechs
If you don't like it, replace it. Don't ruin a nice, original coin.
Lance.
The coin can be professionally conserved w/o taking off any of the gray color. For example, the scum on the rim will come right off with chemicals without hurting the coin. Nevertheless, if the dummy doing the work is one of the flunkies, his "conservation" attempt will leave hairlines.
IMO, you don't sound like anyone who should be touching the coin. Having it professionally conserved by an experienced person is going to change its appearance so little that you may as well flush the fee and postage down the toilet. I suggest you listen to the great advice being given. The coin is a dirty, old, pleasing, circulated Trade dollar. If you don't love it, sell it, as many folks appreciate old coins that look this way.
The color and whatever dirt that you don't like look fine to me. I would leave it alone. Messing with it will only bring up other issues that you might not like. The worst thing to me is the big dig that is below the 13th star.
If you really don't like it, I would sell it as-is and look for another that pleases you more.
Let's not forget the other coins already in your type collection.... Based on what you want to do to an original TD I wonder what other coins are facing the prospect of being "improved".
Even if you just soaked it mineral oil for months there is nothing that would come off.
Your better off selling this one slabbed and finding an example you consider to be more attractive.
LEAVE IT ALONE!
You have nothing to gain by cleaning it.
@Romankow What is the grade on the coin??
It is PCGS VG10.
"Insider" is one of the true coin experts, he worked at a numismatic company and is good friends with Skip at ICG who I'm sure would be glad to check out the coin and do what they can.
A lot of these coins come ugly and darkly toned, certification and conservation are very expensive, you will lose a lot money if you pay one of the two major companies to do their work.
@Romankow I would sell it, or just keep it as is. As you can see there is lots of good advice here for you.
I would not recommend any type of cleaning for this coin. It has considerable wear.. a large hit on the obverse, no idea about the reverse, but likely similar. Sell or trade this one for one you like... save the fees/postage. I strongly suspect you will not like the results of any cleaning on this coin. Cheers, RickO
Thanks for your thoughts everyone. You have certainly given me much to consider. Merry Christmas all!
Don't clean the coin. It will put wear on it.
I LOVE old coins.
@Broadstruck said: "Even if you just soaked it mineral oil for months there is nothing that would come off."
Sorry but this time I had to slap your hand and give you a "disagree."
For example, those dark spots on the rim an around the 1st star will come right off in seconds with no one the wiser.
Nevertheless, your other opinion ("Your better off selling this one slabbed and finding an example you consider to be more attractive.") is excellent. Since I cannot give you a "disagree" and also "agree" it looks like they cancel out.
Ok Romankow, hopefully you are learning to appreciate the look like we all do....but if you still want a shinier example, just post this coin for sale on the BST here, as there is no fee for selling on it. With luck you can get a good price and then find a shiny example for less money. Just be careful as this series is heavily counterfeited so you might want to look for a certified ‘genuine cleaned’ example.
Best of luck to you what ever you decide.
Would love to see a picture of the reverse! That coin must be net graded for some reason. I see a minimum of F-15! The break to VF is a full Liberty and In God We Trust. While this one has it, it does appear to have too much overall wear for a VF.
Beautiful as-is, leave it alone!
POST NUBILA PHOEBUS / AFTER CLOUDS, SUN
Love for Music / Collector of Dreck
I just posted the reverse.
Thanks,That explains it. Lots more wear on the Rev than the Obv.
I bet someone who has a cleaned one of the same date/grade would be happy to swap it and even throw in a few bucks.
Those dark patches on the reverse look terminal. IMO, no one who conserves coins for a living would even touch it!
Therefore, best to leave it alone - even the easily removed crud I mentioned above. The coin has character.
This...
If I wanted a trade dollar for my album, I would buy a raw one unless this one has special meaning to you. Sell the certified, buy a raw.
Buying a "raw" Trade dollar from anyone other than an established ANA or PNG dealer who will give you a return privilege is "NUTS" Some very deceptive counterfeits have been slabbed as genuine until they were detected and the dies were "mapped." I have a copy of a FUN topics magazine from several years ago when deceptive (anything that would fool a professional authenticator at first) Trade dollars began to appear. Some folks are awaiting the "next generation" of similarly deceptive fakes.