A details grade is assigned to a coin when a grading service determines that the coin has been altered or damaged in a way that disqualifies it from receiving a straight numerical grade. The grader still evaluates the coin’s level of wear (VF, AU, MS, etc.) but the final grade includes a note explaining the…
If you’re trying to spot cleaned coins, you’re going to run into a lot of confusing lines under the microscope. Not all of them are signs of damage. One of the most common points of confusion is the difference between hairline scratches from cleaning and die polish lines that are part of the original coin…
When a coin is polished, someone has taken it upon themselves to shine it, often with a cloth or something abrasive, to bring back that “fresh from the mint” look. Unlike whizzing, which uses high-speed tools, polishing tends to be more of a manual, low-speed process, but it’s still damaging. The results might look cleaner…
If a coin looks like it went through a belt sander, you’re probably looking at a whizzed coin. Whizzing is an aggressive and outdated attempt to make worn coins look “better” by mechanically buffing the surface, usually with a wire brush, Dremel tool, or polishing wheel. The goal is to create a fake shine, but…
Cartwheel luster — The radial light reflection seen on original mint-state coins, caused by microscopic flow lines from the minting process. Cleaned coin — A coin that has been altered after leaving the mint in an attempt to improve its appearance, often reducing its value. Details (grade) — A grade given to a coin that…
There’s something strange about a coin that’s technically “clean” but doesn’t look quite right. Maybe it shines just a little too much for its age, or maybe it seems unnaturally flat. That odd look might be the result of chemical dipping, one of the most common ways a coin gets damaged without a single scratch….
Hairline scratches are one of the easiest signs of cleaning to spot, but also one of the most misunderstood. They’re usually the first thing new collectors are told to look for, yet learning to identify them accurately takes some experience. If you’ve spent any time reading Reddit threads about cleaned coins, you’ve probably seen people…
A lot of experienced collectors throw around the phrase “mushy details” when talking about fake coins, but they rarely explain what it means. It can feel like gatekeeping. It’s like when someone in a sneaker forum says “it just looks off” and leaves it at that. You’re left trying to figure out what your eyes…
One of the fastest ways to lose money in coin collecting is buying something you don’t understand. There’s no checklist that can replace actual knowledge. If you don’t know what the coin should look like, you won’t know what’s off when you see it. And once the cash is gone, it’s usually gone for good….