CLEANED COINS

                                                  

I've been wanting to do this post for a while now so here it is. The coin you see above is an example of a cleaned coin. Cleaned coins are exactly what you would think they are and, unless an extreme rarity, are only worth metal value. The reason for this is because cleaning washes away a coin's natural look which makes the coin even more unattractive and unwanted. In this way and others cleaning damages the coin, usually scarring it forever. This may seem a bit ridiculous, but any experienced coin expert/dealer/collector can tell you that cleaning does more damage than good, with a few exceptions. On the silver dime above, cleaning has left very shiny fields and raised areas, but the cracks and crevices are filled with tarnish and dirt. Notice how the shininess looks unnatural, unlike a silver dime that was not cleaned. If you visited the link you now see the substantial difference in cleaned and uncleaned coins. If not, you're missing out on a great coin. Cleaned coins can be spotted fairly easily and you should avoid buying them for a collection unless you can get another of that coin with ease or you plan on replacing it in the future. Like I said before, cleaned coins are only worth metal value so around $2.20 today (8/27/12).