NCS question on gold cleaning...I mean conservation.

kalch23 · October 24, 2005 1:00PM

Anybody have any experience with using NCS for GOLD coins? I would love to hear some stories on how NCS did with gold.

Specifically I have a beautiful 1897 $20 NGC MS64. I mean this coin is super. Fields are great, super luster, truly awesome....BUT....

It has on it what I can best describe as little bits of black "shmutz" around the 9 and 7 as well as liberty's crown by the "I" and also as well
the around the 3 stars btween 12 and 1 o'clock. Its kind of like tiny specs of dirt/ash.

Anyway, it seems like it would be simple enough to remove. Would this be a good candidate for NCS? Is this coin covered by their
guarantee?

Any advice (especially from those who have been in similar positions) would be much appreciated.

kalch23 · October 25, 2005 1:45AM

ttt... bueler... bueler.... bueler....

coinguy1 · October 25, 2005 1:50AM

My (admittedly biased) advice would be to leave it as is.

I believe there will come a time when many of the coins which have not been "conserved" will bring healthy premiums over those which have.

Longacre · October 25, 2005 2:03AM

I agree with Mark, and personally, I don't mind a little "shmutz" on a coin.

BillJones · October 25, 2005 2:45AM

I agree with the others.

Gold coins that have had the NCS treatment end up looking artificially bright, and many advanced collectors don't like them. The number of untampered with gold coins is going down every day, and in the future those coins will become more desirable.

I've used NCS once for a gold coin. I had a 1925-D $2.50 Indian that had a big copper spot on the obverse. I could sell the coin anywhere because it was so ugly. I sent it to NCS with instructions to send it to NGC if the dipping worked. It worked; the coin came back as an MS-63 and I blew it off to a dealer at "bid." I came out ahead on a coin that was nothing but a loser before.

BUT to brighten the whole coin for a minor spot or two is not worth it. Leave the coin alone unless it is really ugly.

Steve27 · October 25, 2005 2:48AM

Do you have a pic? If the black shmutz is distracting then it might make sense to have them conserve it.

Regulated · October 25, 2005 2:51AM

When you describe it as black schmutz, I can't help but think that you may have slag on the coin - black marks of that sort are in the metal and cannot be removed by NCS or anyone else. If this is the case, you certainly wouldn't want to send it in for dipping. Can yuou show us a pic?

RYK · October 25, 2005 5:58AM

I agree with the others. Leave it alone.

kalch23 · October 25, 2005 6:08AM

Its definately ON the coin and not in the metal of the coin. Kind of like tiny bits of gritty dirt. If I were to clean it (and I wouldn't dare
attempt such a stunt with such a valuable coin) I would probably soak it in olive oil for a couple of days and then use a tookpick to
dislodge the dirt. Can NCS do something along these lines without having to necessarily brighten the entire coin?

Anyway, I will try to get a pic up soon.

Thanks.

fc · October 25, 2005 10:24AM

i am curious to see the coin.

dirt on a gold coin might not mean a negative mark against its desirability.

darktone · October 25, 2005 11:04AM

I sent them a $10 liberty a few years ago with about the same type of problem. Just some black goop in the denticles and otherwise a nice MS63 coin with original patina. The coin came back in an NGC 63 holder but the coin was stripped of it's originality and had that greasy NCS look I have come to spot from 20 feet away. I was really pissed at myself for being responible for destroying such a nice coin

. I really thought all they would do was remove the dirt with dipping it- boy was I wrong. mike

NCS question on gold cleaning...I mean conservation.

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