Does this copper appear cleaned to you?

ormandh · February 22, 2009 4:11AM

I bought this a last year and am trying to image it the best I can. It almost appears to be cleaned on the reverse. What are your thoughts?

ASUtodd · February 22, 2009 4:14AM

Doesn't look like it to me... but then again... I've been wrong before!

harasha · February 22, 2009 4:34AM

I would vote no.

IloiloKano · February 22, 2009 4:50AM

Are you refering to the upper left and lower right quadrants? Those are the only areas that I can see, which might be of concern to you. If you are asking about those two areas on the reverse, then no, I don't believe it has been cleaned. If you are concerned about some other part of the reverse, would you state your specific concern? Maybe I have missed something.

ormandh · February 22, 2009 4:52AM

I am mainly concerned with the reverse. The fields just look rubbed if you will. There is no luster present and it just doesn't look right.

IloiloKano · February 22, 2009 5:07AM

The reverse of this specific coin has very large areas unprotected by lettering and devices, so even the slightest bit of handling, (even so little that no obvious wear would appear anywhere else), would remove luster from those areas first.

Is there luster within the recesses of the crown? What about in the area of the lettering between TORNESI and DIECI? Is there any luster present there?

If you have luster present in protected areas, then my suspicion would be the coin saw a short period of circulation before finding its way into a collection, and that the lack of luster in largely unprotected areas of the field is primarily due to skin oil contact with those same areas removing most, if not all of the luster.

However, even if luster isn't present in the protected areas of the reverse, I still wouldn't be convinced the coin had been cleaned, though I wouldn't challenge PCGS if they (or someone else) stated the coin had been cleaned. It would, for me, fall into the category of 'questionable'.

ormandh · February 22, 2009 5:14AM

It basically looks the same as the rest of the surfaces. It may just be the look of the patina?

IloiloKano · February 22, 2009 5:24AM

Maybe, but that obverse has big time luster, so now I definately can see what concerns you. Still, why would anyone clean just the reverse? I would yield to the opinion of someone with more expertise, basically about 75% of the posters on this board.

olmanjon · February 22, 2009 5:33AM

Appears to have some nice die breaks on the reverse and the obverse has some nice toning, but I don't think it has been cleaned.IMHO
Olmanjon

JoesMaName · February 22, 2009 6:46AM

Great photo and nice looking coin.

The difference in darkness between the lighter and darker browns makes me think it could be retoning (nicely I might add) but it could be lighting... I'd need to see it in hand to be 99% sure

Does this copper appear cleaned to you?

Comments