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What does it mean when they say the coin has been dipped?
eddiego
Posts: 101 ✭
It's been dipped in what? & what how does it change the coin? Where do you get the dipping solution? How does it effect the value of the coin?
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Hoard the keys.
As for value, it kind of depends on WHAT you are dipping. A coin from the 1800's will come out blast white, and collectors will shun it. And even more recent coins can be "over dipped", (left in solution too long, or dipped one too many times), and leave them dead looking.
Some will say, (and probably be correct), that most more recent coins, (Walking halves, Washington's, Franklin's, etc.), have probably been dipped at one point in their lives. For the simple jobs, it makes them shiny....which some like, some hate.
You can buy it at most any coin shop. But I have a feeling that MANY collectors don't even own a jar of the stuff. I don't. I feel it's better to find the coin that looks the way you want it to look, and let the coins you don't like be bought by people who LIKE their look. (I like some types of toning, but avoid others. Some coins look good white....some don't).
I think there's probably an art to using the stuff...one I don't feel the need to acquire. So I don't bother.
Over-dipping can impeded luster!
RINSE rinse rinse in distilled water!
Never dip copper!
My advice is to spend this time learning about that "stuff" on coins before you try to remove anything. Baby/bathwater etc. Some "stuff" is desirable and can command a premium like "dirty gold" etc.
Also, for me, I try to buy the coin I like as it is, not buy a coin and try to improve it. This can often go very wrong. Chances are there is someone out there who would love the coin you might wish to dip as it is. This is the easiest, often cheapest and safest method to assembling a nice collection.
Eric
Also, some thing just don't dip off like a carbon spot. Deep haze on a Proof coin when dipped will often reveal "surfaces "bitten" by the haze/tone, and sometimes hairlines come out screaming too. For simple removal of dirt and PVC, acetone and rinse. Others will have more to say about that. I still think buying the coin with the look you want is the way to go. Don't dip is a general rule. Getting opinions is helpful but can not replace experience with your own eyes. Obviously, you can get some cheap coins of various metals and conditions and try this to see for yourself. This suggestion would be for "dip" - not acetone. Others here can suggest proprietary dip brands/names. I'd really not know.
Eric
<< <i>It's been dipped in what? >>
Usually it is a weak acid that removes a layer of tarnish that has formed on a silver coin. Dipping copper is usually far less successful. Gold can be dipped to remove what are known as "copper stains."
<< <i>& what how does it change the coin? >>
The usual goal is to remove a thin layer of oxidized metal. It can also be used to remove dirt and other contaminants.
<< <i>Where do you get the dipping solution? >>
Many coin dealers sell the stuff, although I must confess that I don't have much experience here, despite the fact that I have been a collector for 55 years and was a dealer over 10. I dipped very few coins in my time.
<< <i>How does it effect the value of the coin? >>
The answer to this complicated and sometimes controversial. There are purists who will never buy a coin they know has been dipped. I'm okay with that, but I think they step over line when they advocate de-valuing other people's coins because those pieces have properly and lightly dipped without what must collectors would view to a deleterious effect.
Most every collector agrees that coins can be "over dipped." The term "fried" is also used. In those cases the coin has been dipped too many times or left in the solution for too long with the result that the surface luster is impaired. In general it is unwise to dip any coin that grades less than Choice AU. There is nothing to be gained from dipping lower grade coins, except where a detergent might be used to remove dirt and grime.
In general coins with attractive original surfaces are worth more than those that have been dipped. BUT sometimes the toning on a coin can be unattractive or be causing damage to the piece. In those cases dipping is necessary to make the coin more saleable and sometimes for conservation purposes.
You could fill a book on this subject because every coin is different, and collectors opinions and tastes are so diverse on this subject.
Edited to add a comment about this coin -
This 1875-S Twenty Cent Piece has been dipped. PCGS graded it MS-63, which I think is on the conservative side. I have owned this piece since 1995, and it has never changed color. In essence it looks pretty much how it looked that day it was struck, but since it does not look "old" some collectors would not like it. A Morgan dollar from the same era can look like this, and that would be okay because that is "how they come" due to the fact that they were stored in mint bags for almost 100 years. A Morgan dollar could be dipped, and if you can't tell that it has been done, it will be "no harm, no foul."
For collector coins many years of practice usually needed to learn the art of restoration. Yes the grading services offer profesional accessment and the service.
Well made home video .... Link
BTW I am in no way associated with the video or the product shown. Happen to like mine with no help.