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Signs of Cleaning revealed by Flash Photog?


Fjord

Cleaned?  

7 members have voted

  1. 1. Cleaned?

    • Yea
      6
    • Nay
      1


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I recently picked up from ebay an 1876 Seated Lib quarter to complete the seated liberty quarters section of my type set.

 

When I purchased the coin I planned to inspect it thoroughly, tilt it, use a loupe etc. to find any signs of cleaning. I saw a scratch or three in a few places, but it didn't seem all that odd or unusual. I left positive feedback and placed the coin in my Dansco.

 

Just tonight I was snapping a photo of an 1856 0 Seated Lib quarter using indirect flash, when I noticed in the pictures something I hadn't seen before on my 1876 Seated Lib Quarter.

 

 

gallery_26_6_19928.jpg

 

 

Cleaning or no? if it is, I think I've found a better way than glaring under the loupe to find signs of a whizzed or polished coin.

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Yep, the digital camera picks up everything. I get frustrated sometimes that I shoot pics of a coin that has beautiful eye appeal then the pic makes it look awful. :ninja: It does look cleaned to me, but I'm more concerned about the bottom there. What's up with that what looks like a rectangular patch over the date and why does the 8 look wider than the other numbers?

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Without seeing the coin, I'd guess cleaned - whizzed. The accumulation of dirt around the stars and along the edges of the figure along with the scratches make it pretty clear. I'm with Tiffibunny on the concern of the markings around the date.

 

Another value of digital photography. It does tend to make all of the "warts" stand right out.

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No, I don't agree that it's whizzed. It has been wiped over and over while in an album, most likely. Most high grade circulated US coins like that have been treated that way, at least those over 100 years old. For most of the history of coin collecting there was no taboo concerning coin cleaning so long as the coin wasn't treated with abrasives or polishing compounds.

 

I'd agree that the coin has been cleaned, but wouldn't go so far as to call it whizzed. As to the odd look of the date, look closely at the plastic covering in your album. A horizontal scratch in the plastic and some waviness there is probably what's causing that optical effect in the pic.

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Everyone: thanks for your comments. I guess the real question is what would we net grade a coin like this? VF?

 

I snapped another photo of the coin this morning from a slightly different angle. I thought I had removed the plastic the first time, but it looks as if I had not. pardon the flash glare. No plastic over the coin:

 

gallery_26_6_53304.jpg

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Everyone: thanks for your comments.  I guess the real question is what would we net grade a coin like this?  VF?

 

I snapped another photo of the coin this morning from a slightly different angle. I thought I had removed the plastic the first time, but it looks as if I had not.  pardon the flash glare. No plastic over the coin:

 

gallery_26_6_53304.jpg

 

The coin looks cleaned to me. Noting the dirt around the stars and the scratches across the surface all seem to go the same direction. :ninja:

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Yeah, I'd still agree that it would go VF as a net grade.  If I had it for sale, any buyer would pay VF price or I would keep it.

 

  That's just the kinda guy I am.  ;-)

 

I'll be keeping this coin, at the very least as a reference piece. There were a few things I noticed when looking at it under magnification that I disregarded at the time. I can always stare at this coin as a comparison piece to look for signs of mechanical cleaning.

 

VF net grade isn't too bad.

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