Thread: Cleaning coins
View Single Post
  #9  
Old 12-17-2023, 04:27 PM
steve B steve B is offline
Steve Birmingham
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: eastern Mass.
Posts: 8,119
Default

Hung out at a stamp and coin place and did occasional work if store credit.

The level of original tarnish depends on the way a coin was stored.
Nearly every "brilliant uncirculated" coin has been cleaned at some time.
Most tarnish is pretty ugly. Just a grayish to black coating. Curently the fad is for toned coins, and yes back then there were a few with an incredible rainbow sheen. They were very uncommon, many had been in the hobby for a long time usually in great condition too. Unfortunately what was wanted then was shiny coins, so many got cleaned.
The "good" cleaning was being dipped in a product called numisol which is very similar if not identical to the silver jewlery cleaning fluid. Then a rinse with water and dried on a soft cloth to avoid scratches.

Bad cleaning creates scratches, damage, etc.


people quickly figured out that putting the coin in certain envelopes or along with certain chemicals could create that beautiful rainbow toning. So that now desirable toning is faked starting with a cleaned coin.

Considering how few silver coins I saw that were not tarnished I would expect that both of the coins shown were cleaned at some time. One well done, the other probably with some caustic cleaner.
Reply With Quote