If a coin comes back cleaned

coffeyce · March 13, 2015 3:39PM

Im curious and I know we have a lot of experience on the boards here.

If a coin comes back cleaned is there anything I can do to ever make it able to get a straight grade again.

I have two that were body bagged one I can see some cleaning lines on one side and the other really cant tell.

Ive heard people mention wrapping in tissue and put in window in sun for toning. Heard some people say dipping (This from reading different posts over the years.)

SO I guess im curious is it a pretty much lost cause once body bagged or time can change this/

chris

lordmarcovan · March 13, 2015 3:42PM

<< <i>If a coin comes back cleaned is there anything I can do to ever make it able to get a straight grade again. >>

Not really. Yes, you could retone it as mentioned, but that will still be recognizable as secondary toning, and it still wouldn't straight grade.

The only way time might change that is if you carried a cleaned coin in your pocket for several months and let it wear down by a grade or two and then left it out to tone, but you wouldn't want to do that.

19Lyds · March 13, 2015 4:47PM

Study the coin, see if you can tell why they may have thought it had been cleaned and then possibly resubmit raw.

I've done that successfully in the past.

Type2 · March 13, 2015 5:00PM

Some coins can be saved some can not let's take a look at what you have to work on.

Christos · March 13, 2015 5:41PM

Pics would be very helpful with lighting showing the fields as they are, no glamour shot.

If the coin was improperly cleaned,say by a bad dip or some other cleaning fluid then retoning is a possibility. This will take time and I do mean time as in over a year or more for the coin to develop a new market acceptable surface.

If the coin was cleaned with a mild abrasive cleaner like wet baking soda etc and shows only very fine hairline scratches then the only real option is to turn it into a pocket piece, this has the draw back of lowering the grade by 2 or more points or even damaging the coin more.

If these coins are necessary for you and you can put them in an album then do so other wise you would be better off finding some that are not damaged. There are other things you can do but going beyond what I have mentioned here could and would be considered doctoring and would not be well received.

I don't know if this help and is just my opinion.

lunytune2 · March 13, 2015 8:35PM

If easily replaced I would put them in 2x2 and sell them , then find better ones. A lot set builders don't care about a MINOR cleaning of a coin. If rare , you can try these methods , but I choose the genuine and keep a look out for replacements.

PerryHall · March 13, 2015 8:57PM

A lot of good advice here. A lot depends on the nature of the cleaning. If it's overdipped copper or if it's silver with a few light hairlines you could carry it as a pocket piece for awhile to naturally burnish out the hairlines and give the coin a chance to retone. If it has been heavily cleaned or polished, just sell it and move on. Your best strategy is to just avoid cleaned coins in the first place. The only exception would be a rarity but it would have to be priced right.

puffer · March 13, 2015 9:40PM

A dealer friend showed me a cc Morgan that PCGS rejected as cleaned but NGC called MS64. I have no idea what the first graders saw as it was a really nice coin. How many people get awfully discouraged and give up take a big loss after the first submission? There is always another day nothing is ever written on stone unless it is painfully obvious. An older dealer had three coins come back from PCGS, a Colonial, a gold CA fractional and another coin all in genuine holders, and I saw why but he was upset. He wondered what next, I told them at least he had them in decent holders and could sell them as is.

lunytune2 · March 13, 2015 9:52PM

The two I have are not high dollar coins , but super difficult because of low mintage . I would love an opportunity to replace them , but as of now , I have not found a replacement.

BillJones · March 13, 2015 10:29PM

There are two approaches to this.

The first is sometimes the situation is borderline, and the piece might get a grade on a subsequent submission. At other times, for whatever reason, the grading company just gets it wrong.

I've had this go both ways with both of the major services. I once had an 1839-O half dollar that NGC bounced back at me as "cleaned" in a body bag. The piece had been dipped, but it had not been cleaned. I sent it to PCGS, and they graded it as an AU-55, which what it was. In the second instance I had an 1858 Fly Eagle cent that PCGS labeled as "cleaned." Once more I thought they were wrong. I could not see any hairlines, and the coin had not been polished. I sent it to NGC, and they graded it MS-64, which once again I thought was correct.

You might try sending the coin to NGC, but with no pictures I can't give any strong advice on it. The coin might be messed up, and you would just be wasting your money to send it to the other service.

The other alternative, which I have never tried, is to carry it as a pocket piece for a while and wear it down to the next grade. That would remove the cleaning hairlines, if they are "run of the mill" cleaning marks, but you would end up with a lower grade. This strategy might not work with a heavily polished or hairlined piece because in that instance you really have to get down to basics which might involve an total change of surface via wear. In the worst case, the main devices might be so impaired that nothing can be done.

TwoSides2aCoin · March 13, 2015 10:46PM

The hardest pill I had to swallow with this type of question was : "It is what it is". And with that there are usually no ifs, ands, or buts.

291fifth · March 13, 2015 11:12PM

Resubmissions can get to be an expensive game. Your best bet would be to cut your losses and sell the coin(s) as is and move on.

If you have any doubt about whether a coin has been cleaned or not, pass.

C0INB0Y · March 14, 2015 1:18AM

<< <i>Study the coin, see if you can tell why they may have thought it had been cleaned and the possibly resubmit raw.

I've done that successfully in the past. >>

ricko · March 14, 2015 5:03AM

The suggestions above cover the entire spectrum of possibilities. That being said, the best routes (IMO) are either sell it or try one resubmission...after that one resubmission, it will either be confirmed, or it will grade...Cheers, RickO

BryceM · March 14, 2015 9:42AM

Without photos or any other information we're just guessing, and the guesses aren't informed ones.

If it's a $20 coin, why bother? If it's a valuable piece it deserves professional restoration, if possible.

The right answer depends entirely on the exact appearance of the coin. The only way to get truly useful advice is to have it reviewed by an expert, in-hand. Some coins are beyond hope. Some experts are too.

Some coins are way, way beyond hope. Other times its virtually impossible to even guess why they didn't like it. A heavy enough layer of toning can cover some problems, but not others. Dipping is unlikely to "unclean" a coin, but it might be useful to salvage "questionable toning."

puffer · March 14, 2015 11:11AM

One of the members here recommended these boards for lightly cleaned coins; Text Between 6 months and 6 years the coins may tone out over-dipped and lightly cleaned coins.

keyman64 · March 14, 2015 11:22AM

I have had success with this problem. Silver low mint state coin came back cleaned...it was all white and had some very slight impaired luster but no HARSH cleaning lines or scratches.

No problem. If you aren't looking for attractive, just straight grade... Humid bathroom window sill, just stand the coin up and lean it against something ever so slightly. It will NATURALLY TONE over in 6-18 months. Once per month, pick up the coin to blow the dust off. I have done this twice with 100% success. The second time I did this was with a coin I cherrypicked raw in a 2x2 and I could tell that the dealer cleaned ALL of his coins....and I toned it over a bit prior to getting it graded and attributed.

Good luck!

PerryHall · March 14, 2015 9:26PM

<< <i>I have had success with this problem. Silver low mint state coin came back cleaned...it was all white and had some very slight impaired luster but no HARSH cleaning lines or scratches.

No problem. If you aren't looking for attractive, just straight grade... Humid bathroom window sill, just stand the coin up and lean it against something ever so slightly. It will NATURALLY TONE over in 6-18 months. Once per month, pick up the coin to blow the dust off. I have done this twice with 100% success. The second time I did this was with a coin I cherrypicked raw in a 2x2 and I could tell that the dealer cleaned ALL of his coins....and I toned it over a bit prior to getting it graded and attributed.

Good luck! >>

I've seen it recommended that wrapping a coin in a Taco Bell napkin will naturally tone a coin over time. Anyone here try this? How did it work?

puffer · March 14, 2015 11:55PM

With low grade methods you get questionable results. The good coin board results take quite a while. And virtually no one tells others about their methods or results. And no grading service wants to offer that service, too many potential problems.

If a coin comes back cleaned

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