Being relatively new to this, I notice there are two camps here love or hate it. If coins naturally tone with age why would you want them to be conserved ? It seems to me that would add to the value of the coin. I am not talking about milk spots or copper spots on gold, just natural ageing of the coin. It does not matter if the coin is slabbed or not, slabbing will not stop the ageing process If I see a coin over 10 years old with some light toning in a slab, is that not how its supposed to be? So if you conserve than it comes out white, but that is mot the natural state of the coin.. An old coin 100 years old should not be white, but a natural color because of the age Coin cleaning , conserving , seems to me would ruin the natural state of the coin once it ages... IMHO thx
Cleaning or interfering with a coin depreciates a valuable coin unbelievably. I've seen $50,000 reduced to a few percent of what it was worth. The people that interfere chemically or mechanically with the coin don't know what they are doing. Usually they inherit their grandparents collect and get the "bright" idea to clean the coins, palm to forehead moment. Often people think it will increase the coins value!!! Why? Because it's pretty. There aren't really two camps, there are those that are serious and know, then there are those that don't. The only "conservation" that I would consider is to attempt to get rid of something like verdigris or corrosive element if were to continue to damage the coin. A bit like an art restoration. JM2C
I clean 1oz silver bullion coins, I even clean pre-dec coins when I know they are regulars (no specials) thats because the silver content is the value of it, so for prospective buyers (of the silver content) seem to like them shiney. I wouldnt shine a coin unless ive first identified it and ruled out non-metal based valuations.
Modern semi-nusmatic coins can be cleaned quite easily if they are starting to show sign of varnishing. I agree about older coins and the morgan for example but when a 10-14 modern coin started to tone/tarnish something can be done about it withou hurting and damaging the iintegrity of the coni.
