It's fascinating how the "experts" have free reign over "conserving" coins yet it's a sin for the common collector to address any issues with their coins the may deem to be required. In no way am I suggesting one should take a brillo pad to a coin but I do believe there are occasions where a dip just might enhance an otherwise ugly coin. I have numerous slabbed coins in my collection considered "cleaned" detail coins by the grading services, that I know many collectors would love to own...I put more stock in the coin itself,not the plastic or someone's subjective opinion. Thanks again for the discussion...
ABLEROONE: i agree with what youre saying. Take a 150 year old coin. Chances are that coin has been cleaned at one time or another. If you have a "natural" looking coin (cleaned over 100 yrs ago) and a third party grader dings you for it and calls it ungradable, thank him for his service, pay him and crack the coin out of the slab and have it regraded by another service and hope for a descent grading. Just being real here.
I use Goddards silver dip.Leave the coin in the dip for about 15 to 20 seconds and rinse with cold water pat dry with a cotton cloth. The coins come out amazing looking no tell tale signs of dipping. But only use on uncirculated tone coins
First thing your doing wrong is dipping the coin into the full container. All that does is place the dirt and sulfer etc back into the container from each coin submersion. This might build up enough to the point were it's actually leaving residue on each successive coins. Also the best method to rinse is with very warm distilled water as you don't want any mineral left behind only to later show up as a spot.
@@gregorysmith9299 I think the idea would be to pour some of the chemical into a smaller container and so you can dip the coin horizontally rather than vertically. that way your not using a ton of chemical but your also not contaminating your main supply and thus always have pure chemical to work with each time.
Well they cleaned up good but I love nothing more than that rose colored toning. The northern lights collection is absolutely amazing. Purple to rainbow.
I agree gloves while handling coins and the second issue I have is dipping coins in this stuff or doing anything on this line even if they're so called restoring coins they just distroyed the value of the coins
I've heard that a 100% cotton rag is better than paper as it has less abrasive elements than paper which may contain wood or other mixes that can leave scratches, particularly noticable on high grade MS or PF coins.
You can use those blue nitrile gloves I guess they are ok. I use them when coin roll hunting or wraping up a Coin for a submission for grading. I am not sure how they are to use for dipping. But I know most people do confuse them with latex gloves. I buy a box of them for around 8 ish dollars at harbour freight stores ( XXL gloves they do carry if you have bigger hands or thick. I know XXL are hard to find they carry them.)
@@christophersimpson3642 I'd add that if you are going to use acetone, it will react with nitrile as I discovered my blue nitrile fingertips turning brown after a round of acetone processing. Use rubber gloves instead, for acetone.
Can't say I agree with everything on this video. It killed me to watch you dip that 1883 Morgan at the end. I MUCH prefer the original, more colorful skin before you dipped it. And it was worth more before you dipped it too. To each their own. We don't always have to agree. All I ask of everyone is if you dip a coin... NEVER pass it off/sell it as an original coin. Disclose that it has been cleaned. I've heard about too many people trying out the hobby, unknowingly bought a cleaned/molested coin from a dealer at top price, pridefully showed it to experienced coin collectors, and felt like they've been robbed after finding out that they overpaid for a "details coin", and then wanted nothing to do with numismatics. Like I said, to each their own. If you dip, keep the coin or disclose the cleaning when you sell it.
I'll make another video about why I made this video. It is education that is important. My views have changed quite a bit over the years on this issue.
It killed me too when I saw him dip that beautiful 1883 Morgan dollar ,a Morgan with that type of toning can bring premiums above actual coin grade it didn’t look that dark to me ! Took years to get that color to form on the coin , took less than 2 seconds to remove it !
Well, if I can sell it as a original coin,.. Case closed... Coins can lay in the same drawer for years, still no one's alike.. A coin is what it is, and if you like it,.. Maybe you buy it..
Great video .One can still tell it's been cleaned by the dark areas around the stars for example. Also always wear gloves with this stuff. Thanks for the lesson.
Im not sure what it is with the sudden love of dipping, but it really ruins coins more often than not, and its more the process instead of the quick chemical reaction (quik is the keyword - leave the coin in for more than a second and it will get improperly cleaned). For example, drying with a paper towel is not a good idea. Paper is abrasive. You should be using a silicone sheet to place your coins onto, not a paper towel, also because paper is coated with loose fibers (unless it is laboratory wipes for that specific reason). The coins should be rinsed in multiple baths of distilled (3 to be exact) so that absolutely no contaminants are carried throughout the process. Also, you need to be looking at a coin through a magnifying glass at least, better yet, a scope/loupe. You need to be looking at the surface at least at 10x magnification, because those proofs that you think look better could very well have just dropped a few grades from this process. And before you dip in a corrosive chemical, always prepare the surfaces with acetone to remove any oils/dirt, so the chemical reacts equally everywhere. I know a lot of people think restoration can be done by anyone, but that is like saying restoring clocks can be done by anyone. Technically true, but in reality it isnt. Im pretty sure the experts know all the way the chemicals react to silver and copper in the silver, and also what areas to remove and which ones to keep. I can tell you right now that milk spots are generally left alone during restoration, as removing them can leave a mar in the surface.
You are correct in fact I know a few dealers who dipped thousands of coins had them graded with no problems ! If your seeing “blast white” coins in NGC/PCGS holder chances are they all been dipped at one time
In your explanations, you MUST be sure to tel the viewer to never "rub" while drying the coin but always "pat" the coin. Additionally, when I dip, I rinse with running water, then dip in distilled water, then dip in 91% Alcohol and then pat dry.
You and I do almost same process when dipping coins except I use Denatured alcohol it evaporates quickly also removes finger prints . In fact all my raw coins get dipped in denature alcohol even the copper coinage as well before I put it in a new 2x2 or ship it off for grading
Hopefully constructive criticism, I appreciated the video. Besides the removal of metal, it's the drying with paper towel that bothers me the most; super abrasive. Put those under a microscope and there are most likely tiny scratches that will change the luster. Most collectors can spot it. If NGC and PCGS use the same method, I bet they handle the coins more seriously. That said, was surprised to see them grading ungloved.
Thanks for the comments. This video will always be unpopular and my video discussing cleaning/preserving coins is also that way. I want collectors to know what dipping is, and what it does. Most collectors can not spot a dipped coin, and I hope to change that.
@@TheCoinGeek I had never seen it done before, I watched the demo with quite a lot of interest. I can see how tempting it is, especially with the proof you dipped halfway. And yep, pretty brave knowing how coin folks can/would react. You handle things quite well.
Not to be misleading - we rarely dip coins...at the coin shop we handle thousands of coins a week, but only dip a couple of coins a week. Usually they are modern ''hazy'' coins. The older coins are usually left as is. Watch this video to see the theory of coin diping. th-cam.com/video/nSJ4Tz704zw/w-d-xo.html
Mr. Ben, when you have cleaned/ diped your coins, have you submitted them for grading to PCGS or NGC and have you got a grade or the details cleaned label or both?🤔
Running water is not a good idea as it has fluoride, and can have things like copper, aluminum, sometimes arsenic, pesticides, herbicides which can wreak havoc to a silver coin. I would swing with filtered, or distilled spring water, which will contain much less contaminants, that could have an undesirable affect on the surfaces of a coin. Some States have ‘hard’ water, which can have many minerals, things like that can also have a negative affect if used to rinse a coin. Better safe than sorry.
I use a series of ways to remove contaminants and tarnish. I use ms70 to remove gunk and thin toning really well. I had a 1880 S get graded artificial toning so I dipped it today with ms70 and it did nothing so I tried ez est and it came off with ease and turned the coin back into its original ms65/66 skin with PL surfaces. It is all trial and error and I agree you need to experiment with cheap coins to get practice for when you need to do it on a more expensive coin.
What do you think about using a soft cloth to dry with? I ask because it seems a paper towel can be somewhat rough. I appreciate the tip on cleaning. Looks to be a great way to clean off prints. Thanks
Patting them dry is a key, but I did get the suggestion to use air to dry them, not to let them air dry but to get a can of air and blow dry them. Some clothes are just as harsh as paper towel.
Great video Ben. How the pendulum has swung back and forth over the past three decades as to toned coins not in vogue, then desirable, then not desirable? KenJo Gem Coins' CEO (me, lol) bought EZ EST by the gallon from my mentor's LCS. A newby customer on eBay or my website would occasionally bitch 'cuz of that dark stuff on the patina, e-mail a complaint, and want to return for a refund or exchange >>> I want a white coin!!! So we would dip that same coin, send it back to the customer. Now that's more like it KenJo Gem Coins. Give 'em what they want! When is the lesson on BLUE RIBBON? Someone has a stash of that stuff and it is NFS. Magician Here BTW. Later lol
Thank you for showing this ! In this era of fakes and cheats a person needs all the knowledge they can muster ! There's another subject for you to cover Ben ! Fakes
You have to leave it in there at least 10 seconds Stir it in in a clockwise or counter clockwise. And you need to use Plastic tweezers and dip it in hot water immediately after To clean it..
NEIL'S COINS Exactly. Or, instead of plastic tweezers you can use nitrile gloves. One or two second dips doesn't give the solution enough time to work on the heavier toning.
I think most Morgan and Peace Dollars that have that "white" look to them have been dipped. That's because it seems unlikely to me that a 100+ year old silver coin would have no toning or tarnish. I prefer the toning in most cases and I think the new CAG rating service is harsh in rating dipped coins. For sure, I can say it is not smart to ever dip a circulated coin.
Great results on those Proofs! I kind of wonder though, after seeing you dip the coins with your bare fingers, if that stuff is something one wants on their skin. Maybe dipping would be better done with rubber gloves on.
Many dipped coins are not listed as cleaned, since it removes only the outer layer from the coin and when done properly does not have a long term negative effect.
How many times can a coin be dipped while attempting to remove spots that were caused by not drying the coin properly? You showed a Morgan that had a spot because it wasn’t completely dried. Couldn’t one just immediately re-dip the coin?
After one quick dip, if you don't get the results you're looking for, you should stop dipping the coin. If you do more than just a small amount, it will start to remove the luster and give the coin an unnatural look. If you have harder to get off spots, then you'll need techniques and chemicals I don't have. Sometimes NGC's Conservation group has the ability to get them off.
TheCoinGeek Thanks for replying. I noticed in other videos on cleaning coins where slight spots still remained after the first dip. Thanks too for the pointer that luster might be removed. 👍🏽❤️
I know absolutely nothing about coins and/or cleaning them but an coin expert on another video insisted that you never apply a paper towel on a coin to either wipe it or dry it. He also said never to touch a coin with your fingers. I don't understand why cleaning a coin properly reduces it's value. I'm new to this but why would that value of a coin be significantly reduced if it were cleaned properly. I can understand why if the coin weren't cleaned properly.
Coin geek, I believe there's acid in ez-est you may want to wear gloves. Also if you leave the coin in the solution for about 7-10 seconds you'll get a better result
If seen it all nearly as far as coins go. I've seen dealers roll the edge of dollars in sulfur before a show. I've seen people get vinegar and swirl a copper penny in it to just barely bring out the red again. In my day they had a preservative for coins that was allowed and is not cleaning a coin. The issue is all my coins look like they were just minted and everyone says the coins were cleaned and worthless; instead of PCGS MS 68-70... because there is no toning. In fact I was the dumb one who saved all the PCGS labels and cracked open the cases and put them in a book. When your dealing with so many collections; it's just easier that way. Of course I gave many collections to my daughter who lost them or her boyfriends got them. One day she said she left a 100 ounce bar of silver as a doorstop behind because it was to heavy; about the time she asked me for money... and it was worth about 3500 if memory serves me correct.; Not that all women are the same; but you never leave ladies with coins or guns. They'll ruin all your hard work and accept pennies on the dollar in most instances. They have coin doctors; but they have dried up; because most were old men who had been in coins for awhile and could actually do a decent job. Any restoration these days will be a nightmare I'm sure. Best advice; anything but key dates is nearly worthless. Go by grey sheet.... which is retail in my mind. If you by a coin from a small dealer; you'll get ripped off. Try asking him about the coins you want to buy; and say I have this coin and wondering what you'll pay for it. Then you'll have an idea how bad your getting ripped off. The large investors started collecting key dates and have drawers full of the same coin; and it's nearly impossible to fill that last hole without being ripped off. The large dealers took al the fun out of it. I remember when you could find the best key dates in pocket change circulating back in the 70's. By the late 90's all the fun was taken out of collecting. Of course i collect everything; I tried antiquities; and my ex wife really didn't appreciate such; but she took everything when I was in the middle east. Life is so funny.
Good video! But you need to read the directions. The instructions say to dip it for 10 to 15 seconds. You have to submerge the coin. And yes this product is amazing at removing tarnish and everything else. You can dip it properly as many time as needed to achieve required results. But dont leave it in the solution more than 10 to 15 seconds. Always neutralize the solution on your coin when you remove it and clean with water. Then when fully dried you can dip again. Good video but you may want to try the 10 to 15 seconds.
I've watched the video and read the comments -- and I'm just as bewildered as before as to whether or not I can ever do anything to "restore" or "preserve" a coin. For the purists who scream NEVER -- I would love to sell you my PCGS slabbed MS67FB Franklin half dollar which is so filthy you can barely read the date -- and on the reverse? -- the full bell lines? -- it's like what bell? It's that cruddy looking. I can't give it away.
This is taboo . Coins that are naturally toned or tarnished is what makes the coin in my opinion . You can still get a MS graded coin that is toned . Does not affect the grade of a coin . Dipping will though . Details cleaned . No good
why would you ever clean a coin that isn’t some modern copper/clad coin. that has over a billion minted. it decreases the value, adds scratch marks, and gives it a grainy and fake look to it. even if you never plan on selling it, and you like the cleaned look, you have essentially ruined the coin for everyone else and have basically ruined a artifact/ piece of history plus, again, if you have a financial crisis your coins will be worth about nothing.
I'm not sure what Tarn-X is or does, so it will be hard for me to answer. It is possibly a similar solution (since you are using water to ''dilute'' it).
Geek! WHY are you showing yourself doing this without wearing gloves! I want to see an image of your fingers the next day. That stuff is very HARSH. Please, people, wear gloves when using E*Z*Est. Unless you want all your skin to peel off.
So I am out there using a metal detector, find heavily worn coins, buried inched deep, covered in mud, dirt, crud, grime, etc. So, dont clean them?, just put them in the binder AS FOUND?
When drying with a paper towel set the wet coin on two layers and fold the two layers over the top of the coin and press down. Do not rub. Scratches will appear if the material you are rubbing on the coin is harder than the metal. Sometimes you can use a Q-tip and work the solution lightly over the coin and it will not scratch and will remove spots and unattractive toning that dipping alone will not remove. Must rinse thoroughly and quickly because there is acid in the solution. That rotten egg smell is from sulfuric acid. Cleaning a coin without compromising its value or integrity is more art than science. Sometimes it will be a miraculous transformation and sometimes you ruin the coin. Be careful and conservative about cleaning coins, especially valuable coins. Invariably, if you leave the solution on too long it will destroy natural mint luster. Also, I have had very little success dipping non-silver coins. For me, I learned to never use it on copper or nickel coins. Never tried it on gold but it's hard for me to imagine any circumstance where I would dip a gold coin. I use it only on silver coins.
I dipped a lot of coins back in the 1960s and had the best luck with silver coins. Copper and nickel never came out well for me. The product is an acid so you must rinse all the chemical off of the coin and pat dry. Do not rub dry. I had good luck using Q-tips to dislodged stubborn tarnish in some coins but if you rub too much or keep the chemical on too long it will ruin the luster. Back then there were a lot of collectors who disliked toning so many coins were dipped by dealers to make them more marketable. Be very conservative about dipping. Today I would not use it just to remove toning. I would reserve it for coins that are severely compromised by surface dirt or irregular spots or tarnish. I will admit that dipping did improve many coins but ask yourself if you would like to buy a coin that had been dipped and you didn't know it..
The answer is that it depends on the coin. Some coins once dipped have an unnatural look to them. They become to ''bright''. On coins like modern proofs, they generally won't know that you removed ''haze'' and they will certify them.
They'd be Details grading a lot of Morgan dollars, then. I've got many MS Morgan dollars which are white, including the edges, and there's no way they'd have survived that way for over 100 years without being dipped fairly recently.
I agree with not ever cleaning your coins however, seeing what the coin looked like after cleaning was helpful for me to spot what a coin would look. It was very helpful for me to see so when I shop on eBay for coins I have an idea of a cleaned coin. So thank you for that
You made my day. I'm glad you learned. I have other videos showing specific types of cleaning and how to spot it. Thanks for watching and you comments!
Well, I guess I'll be the first to chime in on this one. And it won't be pretty.... In my opinion, even showing people how to do this is irresponsible. There is a reason "most collectors have never seen it done", it's the wrong thing to do. Dipping silver in sulfuric acid removes metal. Not just tarnish... metal. The more you dip, the more the surface of the coin is removed. The grading companies used to refuse to grade dipped coins. But of course now they will (there's a lot of money in it). Never dip your coins, never rub your coins, never do anything shown on this video. And BTW, if a dealer told customers that the coins they were about to buy from him had been recently dipped... he would have no customers. Don't clean your coins! I warned you it wouldn't be pretty. :)
Thanks. This is about educating. And I was expecting your reaction and I appreciate it. I still tell people not to clean coins...I'll put out another video explaining more on why I would do such a sacrilegious thing. You still may not agree, but I think I'll make some points you'll agree with.
You are ruining those coins. Not only are you rubbing them with a towel, but you rubbing them with your fingers. That Morgan that was toned was worth more before you cleaned it.
It's fascinating how the "experts" have free reign over "conserving" coins yet it's a sin for the common collector to address any issues with their coins the may deem to be required. In no way am I suggesting one should take a brillo pad to a coin but I do believe there are occasions where a dip just might enhance an otherwise ugly coin. I have numerous slabbed coins in my collection considered "cleaned" detail coins by the grading services, that I know many collectors would love to own...I put more stock in the coin itself,not the plastic or someone's subjective opinion. Thanks again for the discussion...
Thanks for your thoughtful contributions to the discussion!
ABLEROONE amen
Yeah the whole conservation thing is kind of a scam
ABLEROONE: i agree with what youre saying. Take a 150 year old coin. Chances are that coin has been cleaned at one time or another. If you have a "natural" looking coin (cleaned over 100 yrs ago) and a third party grader dings you for it and calls it ungradable, thank him for his service, pay him and crack the coin out of the slab and have it regraded by another service and hope for a descent grading. Just being real here.
Agree
I use Goddards silver dip.Leave the coin in the dip for about 15 to 20 seconds and rinse with cold water pat dry with a cotton cloth. The coins come out amazing looking no tell tale signs of dipping. But only use on uncirculated tone coins
First thing your doing wrong is dipping the coin into the full container. All that does is place the dirt and sulfer etc back into the container from each coin submersion. This might build up enough to the point were it's actually leaving residue on each successive coins. Also the best method to rinse is with very warm distilled water as you don't want any mineral left behind only to later show up as a spot.
So do you recommend a new container of chemicals for each coin? Or what?
@@gregorysmith9299 I think the idea would be to pour some of the chemical into a smaller container and so you can dip the coin horizontally rather than vertically. that way your not using a ton of chemical but your also not contaminating your main supply and thus always have pure chemical to work with each time.
@@gregorysmith9299 This made me LOL 😁
Well they cleaned up good but I love nothing more than that rose colored toning. The northern lights collection is absolutely amazing. Purple to rainbow.
First of all they seem like nicer coins. Dude first rule! Gloves man!
His fingers fell off shortly after posting this video
Gloves aren’t necessary if you know how to properly handle coins.
@@joshuachambers3372 I think he meant for the sulfuric acid lolll
I agree gloves while handling coins and the second issue I have is dipping coins in this stuff or doing anything on this line even if they're so called restoring coins they just distroyed the value of the coins
First rule, don't dip your coins.
I've heard that a 100% cotton rag is better than paper as it has less abrasive elements than paper which may contain wood or other mixes that can leave scratches, particularly noticable on high grade MS or PF coins.
Absolutely!! Was going to suggest
that myself.
some people mix the dip with water in a bowl,that way you can control the strength of the dip.finish the ike.it's driving me crazy
You need to use latex/vinyl/rubber gloves. It will prevent fingerprints and that stuff will damage your skin.
Latex will damage a coin
You can use those blue nitrile gloves I guess they are ok. I use them when coin roll hunting or wraping up a Coin for a submission for grading. I am not sure how they are to use for dipping. But I know most people do confuse them with latex gloves. I buy a box of them for around 8 ish dollars at harbour freight stores ( XXL gloves they do carry if you have bigger hands or thick. I know XXL are hard to find they carry them.)
@@christophersimpson3642 I'd add that if you are going to use acetone, it will react with nitrile as I discovered my blue nitrile fingertips turning brown after a round of acetone processing. Use rubber gloves instead, for acetone.
Can't say I agree with everything on this video. It killed me to watch you dip that 1883 Morgan at the end. I MUCH prefer the original, more colorful skin before you dipped it. And it was worth more before you dipped it too. To each their own. We don't always have to agree. All I ask of everyone is if you dip a coin... NEVER pass it off/sell it as an original coin. Disclose that it has been cleaned. I've heard about too many people trying out the hobby, unknowingly bought a cleaned/molested coin from a dealer at top price, pridefully showed it to experienced coin collectors, and felt like they've been robbed after finding out that they overpaid for a "details coin", and then wanted nothing to do with numismatics. Like I said, to each their own. If you dip, keep the coin or disclose the cleaning when you sell it.
I'll make another video about why I made this video. It is education that is important. My views have changed quite a bit over the years on this issue.
It killed me too when I saw him dip that beautiful 1883 Morgan dollar ,a Morgan with that type of toning can bring premiums above actual coin grade it didn’t look that dark to me ! Took years to get that color to form on the coin , took less than 2 seconds to remove it !
I agree with you MNGA.
Well, if I can sell it as a original coin,.. Case closed... Coins can lay in the same drawer for years, still no one's alike.. A coin is what it is, and if you like it,.. Maybe you buy it..
Great video .One can still tell it's been cleaned by the dark areas around the stars for example. Also always wear gloves with this stuff. Thanks for the lesson.
Im not sure what it is with the sudden love of dipping, but it really ruins coins more often than not, and its more the process instead of the quick chemical reaction (quik is the keyword - leave the coin in for more than a second and it will get improperly cleaned). For example, drying with a paper towel is not a good idea. Paper is abrasive. You should be using a silicone sheet to place your coins onto, not a paper towel, also because paper is coated with loose fibers (unless it is laboratory wipes for that specific reason). The coins should be rinsed in multiple baths of distilled (3 to be exact) so that absolutely no contaminants are carried throughout the process. Also, you need to be looking at a coin through a magnifying glass at least, better yet, a scope/loupe. You need to be looking at the surface at least at 10x magnification, because those proofs that you think look better could very well have just dropped a few grades from this process. And before you dip in a corrosive chemical, always prepare the surfaces with acetone to remove any oils/dirt, so the chemical reacts equally everywhere.
I know a lot of people think restoration can be done by anyone, but that is like saying restoring clocks can be done by anyone. Technically true, but in reality it isnt. Im pretty sure the experts know all the way the chemicals react to silver and copper in the silver, and also what areas to remove and which ones to keep. I can tell you right now that milk spots are generally left alone during restoration, as removing them can leave a mar in the surface.
I dip all the time. I have never had one labeled improperly cleaned or body bagged from pcgs.
Thanks for your comments, and for watching.
You are correct in fact I know a few dealers who dipped thousands of coins had them graded with no problems ! If your seeing “blast white” coins in NGC/PCGS holder chances are they all been dipped at one time
@@Jabshier1980 You are right, it is a common occurrence.
What did PCGS put on the slab, if they slabbed it at all?
Also, use distilled spring water to rinse the coins off.
In your explanations, you MUST be sure to tel the viewer to never "rub" while drying the coin but always "pat" the coin.
Additionally, when I dip, I rinse with running water, then dip in distilled water, then dip in 91% Alcohol and then pat dry.
You and I do almost same process when dipping coins except I use Denatured alcohol it evaporates quickly also removes finger prints . In fact all my raw coins get dipped in denature alcohol even the copper coinage as well before I put it in a new 2x2 or ship it off for grading
Damn that stuff works good
Just am FYI, most dips contain dilute sulfuric acid, you do not want to do this without wearing gloves.
under what circumstance do you want to dip? I always thought you should not clean coins
You can buy plastic tongs to hold the coin while you dip it and rinse it, instead of your fingers.
GREAT COINS LIKE YOU DEAR HOST🇺🇲🗽🌟🗽🥰👍🇺🇲🗽🌟🗽🌟🗽🌟🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🗽🗽
Hopefully constructive criticism, I appreciated the video. Besides the removal of metal, it's the drying with paper towel that bothers me the most; super abrasive. Put those under a microscope and there are most likely tiny scratches that will change the luster. Most collectors can spot it. If NGC and PCGS use the same method, I bet they handle the coins more seriously. That said, was surprised to see them grading ungloved.
Thanks for the comments. This video will always be unpopular and my video discussing cleaning/preserving coins is also that way. I want collectors to know what dipping is, and what it does. Most collectors can not spot a dipped coin, and I hope to change that.
@@TheCoinGeek I had never seen it done before, I watched the demo with quite a lot of interest. I can see how tempting it is, especially with the proof you dipped halfway. And yep, pretty brave knowing how coin folks can/would react. You handle things quite well.
Not to be misleading - we rarely dip coins...at the coin shop we handle thousands of coins a week, but only dip a couple of coins a week. Usually they are modern ''hazy'' coins. The older coins are usually left as is. Watch this video to see the theory of coin diping.
th-cam.com/video/nSJ4Tz704zw/w-d-xo.html
Mr. Ben, when you have cleaned/ diped your coins, have you submitted them for grading to PCGS or NGC and have you got a grade or the details cleaned label or both?🤔
They will absolutely come back graded as "cleaned". Don't dip your coins kids
@@OGbrundle Not if you do properly and do it on the right coin. What do you think PCGS and NGC do to conserve coins? They dip
The moderns look like mint luster, the Morgan's I could instantly tell they where cleaned. Shinny in the middle and toned edges
What happens if you leave the coin in longer?
Everybody does it, no one admits it!
yup.
Not everybody does it.
My local LCS told me that dipping isn't cleaning! Hilarious.
Other than coins that have the leprosy type damage caused by storage in PVC I don't really think I'd ever dip.
Running water is not a good idea as it has fluoride, and can have things like copper, aluminum, sometimes arsenic, pesticides, herbicides which can wreak havoc to a silver coin. I would swing with filtered, or distilled spring water, which will contain much less contaminants, that could have an undesirable affect on the surfaces of a coin.
Some States have ‘hard’ water, which can have many minerals, things like that can also have a negative affect if used to rinse a coin. Better safe than sorry.
Good info...
I use a series of ways to remove contaminants and tarnish. I use ms70 to remove gunk and thin toning really well. I had a 1880 S get graded artificial toning so I dipped it today with ms70 and it did nothing so I tried ez est and it came off with ease and turned the coin back into its original ms65/66 skin with PL surfaces. It is all trial and error and I agree you need to experiment with cheap coins to get practice for when you need to do it on a more expensive coin.
Thanks for your comments! It is trial and error.
Growing up there was tarn X.
If you wanted a VF coin to look proof!
I wonder if the EZest has the same chemicals as Tarn X? Tarn X is still on the market.
What do you think about using a soft cloth to dry with? I ask because it seems a paper towel can be somewhat rough. I appreciate the tip on cleaning. Looks to be a great way to clean off prints. Thanks
Patting them dry is a key, but I did get the suggestion to use air to dry them, not to let them air dry but to get a can of air and blow dry them. Some clothes are just as harsh as paper towel.
TheCoinGeek , great idea. Thanks again for your help.
I clean my eyeglasses with a microfiber cloth, never with paper. I would do the same with a coin.
It’s taboo city over here lol right on
Taboo taboo!
so is this not considered cleaning and will be pointed out when sent for grading?
If done properly dipping can make it past grading . Most people “over dip” and it ruins the coin .
Great video Ben. How the pendulum has swung back and forth over the past three decades as to toned coins not in vogue, then desirable, then not desirable? KenJo Gem Coins' CEO (me, lol) bought EZ EST by the gallon from my mentor's LCS. A newby customer on eBay or my website would occasionally bitch 'cuz of that dark stuff on the patina, e-mail a complaint, and want to return for a refund or exchange >>> I want a white coin!!! So we would dip that same coin, send it back to the customer. Now that's more like it KenJo Gem Coins. Give 'em what they want! When is the lesson on BLUE RIBBON? Someone has a stash of that stuff and it is NFS. Magician Here BTW. Later lol
Try a Qtip first to remove any crud & then leave the nice periphery colors. COIN Surgery!
Good video! I bought some of that a few months ago. I made a video as well. It works great.
Thank you for showing this ! In this era of fakes and cheats a person needs all the knowledge they can muster ! There's another subject for you to cover Ben ! Fakes
Thanks. I'll keep them coming.
You have to leave it in there at least 10 seconds Stir it in in a clockwise or counter clockwise. And you need to use Plastic tweezers and dip it in hot water immediately after To clean it..
NEIL'S COINS Exactly. Or, instead of plastic tweezers you can use nitrile gloves. One or two second dips doesn't give the solution enough time to work on the heavier toning.
At least 5 seconds
Question : I have a quarter and a dime that is black. What causes that?
Usually a high level of sulfur with some moisture
I think most Morgan and Peace Dollars that have that "white" look to them have been dipped. That's because it seems unlikely to me that a 100+ year old silver coin would have no toning or tarnish. I prefer the toning in most cases and I think the new CAG rating service is harsh in rating dipped coins. For sure, I can say it is not smart to ever dip a circulated coin.
Great results on those Proofs! I kind of wonder though, after seeing you dip the coins with your bare fingers, if that stuff is something one wants on their skin. Maybe dipping would be better done with rubber gloves on.
Guess you have never heard of toner tax 🤦🏻♂️
will PCGS call a dipped coin "cleaned" and lable it such??
Many dipped coins are not listed as cleaned, since it removes only the outer layer from the coin and when done properly does not have a long term negative effect.
The experts say don't clean coins.But they all do it themselves. Using acetone and dipping IS cleaning..The whole Cleaning debate is so stupid.
How many times can a coin be dipped while attempting to remove spots that were caused by not drying the coin properly?
You showed a Morgan that had a spot because it wasn’t completely dried. Couldn’t one just immediately re-dip the coin?
After one quick dip, if you don't get the results you're looking for, you should stop dipping the coin. If you do more than just a small amount, it will start to remove the luster and give the coin an unnatural look. If you have harder to get off spots, then you'll need techniques and chemicals I don't have. Sometimes NGC's Conservation group has the ability to get them off.
TheCoinGeek Thanks for replying. I noticed in other videos on cleaning coins where slight spots still remained after the first dip. Thanks too for the pointer that luster might be removed.
👍🏽❤️
Have the changed the formula of e-z-est since this was recorded? You said rotten eggs. Mine smells like mint (not a pun).
DO NOT use this on ancient coins, please trust me guys.
I have the cleaner too. Don't they say to dip
longer than you did, such as about 5 seconds?
What would happen if you left it in way longer than it’s supposed to?
@@zwhit5760 Might it start to dissolve?
Is there a dip that removes fingerprints from Gold proofs?
This also works for gold
I know absolutely nothing about coins and/or cleaning them but an coin expert on another video insisted that you never apply a paper towel on a coin to either wipe it or dry it. He also said never to touch a coin with your fingers. I don't understand why cleaning a coin properly reduces it's value. I'm new to this but why would that value of a coin be significantly reduced if it were cleaned properly. I can understand why if the coin weren't cleaned properly.
Does this stuff work on copper cents?
Nitrile gloves! Ezest has thiorea.
Have you submitted any of your dipped coins to grading? Could they spot that it was cleaned?
Absolutely, don't dip your coins
Can you dip copper? How about gold?
Do not dip copper. It will turn a dull unnatural pink color
How many times u can 10 second dip??
does it take value away cleaning the coin or dipping? new here and thanks
Coin geek, I believe there's acid in ez-est you may want to wear gloves.
Also if you leave the coin in the solution for about 7-10 seconds you'll get a better result
If seen it all nearly as far as coins go. I've seen dealers roll the edge of dollars in sulfur before a show. I've seen people get vinegar and swirl a copper penny in it to just barely bring out the red again. In my day they had a preservative for coins that was allowed and is not cleaning a coin. The issue is all my coins look like they were just minted and everyone says the coins were cleaned and worthless; instead of PCGS MS 68-70... because there is no toning. In fact I was the dumb one who saved all the PCGS labels and cracked open the cases and put them in a book. When your dealing with so many collections; it's just easier that way. Of course I gave many collections to my daughter who lost them or her boyfriends got them. One day she said she left a 100 ounce bar of silver as a doorstop behind because it was to heavy; about the time she asked me for money... and it was worth about 3500 if memory serves me correct.; Not that all women are the same; but you never leave ladies with coins or guns. They'll ruin all your hard work and accept pennies on the dollar in most instances. They have coin doctors; but they have dried up; because most were old men who had been in coins for awhile and could actually do a decent job. Any restoration these days will be a nightmare I'm sure. Best advice; anything but key dates is nearly worthless. Go by grey sheet.... which is retail in my mind. If you by a coin from a small dealer; you'll get ripped off. Try asking him about the coins you want to buy; and say I have this coin and wondering what you'll pay for it. Then you'll have an idea how bad your getting ripped off. The large investors started collecting key dates and have drawers full of the same coin; and it's nearly impossible to fill that last hole without being ripped off. The large dealers took al the fun out of it. I remember when you could find the best key dates in pocket change circulating back in the 70's. By the late 90's all the fun was taken out of collecting. Of course i collect everything; I tried antiquities; and my ex wife really didn't appreciate such; but she took everything when I was in the middle east. Life is so funny.
I cleaned some junk Morgans. Bought as such & will sell as such. Never bought as a numismatic coin. Some were just really dirty.
No gloves. I though it is acid.
Good video! But you need to read the directions. The instructions say to dip it for 10 to 15 seconds. You have to submerge the coin. And yes this product is amazing at removing tarnish and everything else. You can dip it properly as many time as needed to achieve required results. But dont leave it in the solution more than 10 to 15 seconds. Always neutralize the solution on your coin when you remove it and clean with water. Then when fully dried you can dip again. Good video but you may want to try the 10 to 15 seconds.
Send some off to grading to see what happens
wow :new friend here po
Watching this video again, I did not realize you could put your fingers into the solution. I thought it would burn your skin. 🤔 I guess not. 😀
I've watched the video and read the comments -- and I'm just as bewildered as before as to whether or not I can ever do anything to "restore" or "preserve" a coin. For the purists who scream NEVER -- I would love to sell you my PCGS slabbed MS67FB Franklin half dollar which is so filthy you can barely read the date -- and on the reverse? -- the full bell lines? -- it's like what bell? It's that cruddy looking. I can't give it away.
Thanks for your thoughts. I know exactly what you mean.
Try a ultrasonic cleaner.. Guess you don't have nothing to loose on it..
It’s your coin. Do what makes you happy. But do it before you have it slabbed because it’s too late afterwards.
I feel the same way.
Can u do this with gold or copper?
Not with copper. It will eat your coin.
use a wire brush then some fine grit sand paper is what i do, it makes them proof like. then put them on ebay and list them au to get the most money
Congratulations you’re a scammer
@@joshuachambers3372 you couldn't tell it was a joke ?
I dip mine in silver paint.
Warm water or cold water....
Yes.
You should wear gloves, Ben.
This is taboo . Coins that are naturally toned or tarnished is what makes the coin in my opinion . You can still get a MS graded coin that is toned . Does not affect the grade of a coin . Dipping will though . Details cleaned . No good
I do not buy harshly toned or cruddy coins. Can't stand to look at them. I don't mind a dipped coin.
Experts.... we conserve them, you should not clean them. Dealers, we are the experts... we do not clean coins, but we will sell you coin cleaner
why would you ever clean a coin that isn’t some modern copper/clad coin. that has over a billion minted.
it decreases the value, adds scratch marks, and gives it a grainy and fake look to it. even if you never plan on selling it, and you like the cleaned look, you have essentially ruined the coin for everyone else and have basically ruined a artifact/ piece of history
plus, again, if you have a financial crisis your coins will be worth about nothing.
Enjoyed the video, not a fan dipping coins. Why not just use something like 50% tarn-x and 50% water.
I'm not sure what Tarn-X is or does, so it will be hard for me to answer. It is possibly a similar solution (since you are using water to ''dilute'' it).
It smells like rotten eggs because toning is sulfuric.
Probably not a good idea putting your fingers into the fluid. Rubber gloves would be advisable.
God no u never rub your coin with fingers! All kinds of hairline scratches.
Is that stuff carcinogenic?
I'm a numismatist, not a chemist. :)
Cigarettes and bacon are. Are we supposed to stop using cigarettes and bacon?
Of course not, they're the life guard to the gene pool.
Geek! WHY are you showing yourself doing this without wearing gloves! I want to see an image of your fingers the next day. That stuff is very HARSH. Please, people, wear gloves when using E*Z*Est. Unless you want all your skin to peel off.
Dip that quarter for about 30 seconds. You only left it in for a second or two.
I cannot believe you dipped that Morgan! Ridiculous! Please stop!
Hahahaha.
Yo no entiendo nada plis
Don't use napkins or paper towels, THEY ARE ABRASIVE! Use a clean microfiber towel and lightly blot dry the coin.
Never dip a coin, dipping does devalue coins, I will never dip a coin or buy any coin that has been dipped.
party pooper, if you have junk silver and a bullion collector who cares!
Highly recommend not to dip or clean a coin
So I am out there using a metal detector, find heavily worn coins, buried inched deep, covered in mud, dirt, crud, grime, etc. So, dont clean them?, just put them in the binder AS FOUND?
Don't do it
Blah, blah, blah... just get on with it, spent to much time talking
I've been known to blah, blah , blah
When drying with a paper towel set the wet coin on two layers and fold the two layers over the top of the coin and press down. Do not rub. Scratches will appear if the material you are rubbing on the coin is harder than the metal. Sometimes you can use a Q-tip and work the solution lightly over the coin and it will not scratch and will remove spots and unattractive toning that dipping alone will not remove. Must rinse thoroughly and quickly because there is acid in the solution. That rotten egg smell is from sulfuric acid. Cleaning a coin without compromising its value or integrity is more art than science. Sometimes it will be a miraculous transformation and sometimes you ruin the coin. Be careful and conservative about cleaning coins, especially valuable coins. Invariably, if you leave the solution on too long it will destroy natural mint luster. Also, I have had very little success dipping non-silver coins. For me, I learned to never use it on copper or nickel coins. Never tried it on gold but it's hard for me to imagine any circumstance where I would dip a gold coin. I use it only on silver coins.
Use on a older gold necklace that's broken and need to be melted to see what it does to gold
I dipped a lot of coins back in the 1960s and had the best luck with silver coins. Copper and nickel never came out well for me. The product is an acid so you must rinse all the chemical off of the coin and pat dry. Do not rub dry. I had good luck using Q-tips to dislodged stubborn tarnish in some coins but if you rub too much or keep the chemical on too long it will ruin the luster. Back then there were a lot of collectors who disliked toning so many coins were dipped by dealers to make them more marketable. Be very conservative about dipping. Today I would not use it just to remove toning. I would reserve it for coins that are severely compromised by surface dirt or irregular spots or tarnish. I will admit that dipping did improve many coins but ask yourself if you would like to buy a coin that had been dipped and you didn't know it..
Will NGC detect a dipped coin and grade as improperly cleaned ?
The answer is that it depends on the coin. Some coins once dipped have an unnatural look to them. They become to ''bright''. On coins like modern proofs, they generally won't know that you removed ''haze'' and they will certify them.
Yes they would and PCGS as well
Count on it.
jonthan1985 howell 🤦♂️
They'd be Details grading a lot of Morgan dollars, then. I've got many MS Morgan dollars which are white, including the edges, and there's no way they'd have survived that way for over 100 years without being dipped fairly recently.
Mmm... forbidden Gatorade 🤤
Scams, the grading services get to conserve coins at no negative but if the average collector does it, well.....
There are too many ways to mess up a coin by Dipping it.
I prefer to soak my coins in Fluoride.
Thought it was best to dip for 5 seconds and rinse, or am I wrong?
Put 3 drops of olive oil into the solution. Also, do NOT use paper towels.
A despicable product.
I would dilute the cleaning solution with distilled water before dipping.
I agree with not ever cleaning your coins however, seeing what the coin looked like after cleaning was helpful for me to spot what a coin would look. It was very helpful for me to see so when I shop on eBay for coins I have an idea of a cleaned coin. So thank you for that
You made my day. I'm glad you learned. I have other videos showing specific types of cleaning and how to spot it. Thanks for watching and you comments!
Not sure if you have or not but have you considered sending in a few coins to PCGS or NGC that you "dipped" to see what they grade out as........
Would agree. Gloves. Have these
Well, I guess I'll be the first to chime in on this one. And it won't be pretty.... In my opinion, even showing people how to do this is irresponsible. There is a reason "most collectors have never seen it done", it's the wrong thing to do. Dipping silver in sulfuric acid removes metal. Not just tarnish... metal. The more you dip, the more the surface of the coin is removed. The grading companies used to refuse to grade dipped coins. But of course now they will (there's a lot of money in it). Never dip your coins, never rub your coins, never do anything shown on this video. And BTW, if a dealer told customers that the coins they were about to buy from him had been recently dipped... he would have no customers. Don't clean your coins! I warned you it wouldn't be pretty. :)
Dr. G it's funny you say "most collectors have never seen it done" as I NEVER have! haha
Thanks. This is about educating. And I was expecting your reaction and I appreciate it. I still tell people not to clean coins...I'll put out another video explaining more on why I would do such a sacrilegious thing. You still may not agree, but I think I'll make some points you'll agree with.
@@TheCoinGeek Doubt it
so sad
I agree Dr.G
So if most dealers dip and pcgs and ngc do it to preserve how can they give a coin a label that says dipped or do they not do that?
They don’t have a dipped label- just cleaned or altered surfaces
You are ruining those coins. Not only are you rubbing them with a towel, but you rubbing them with your fingers. That Morgan that was toned was worth more before you cleaned it.