Rub the dirt off?

[natepen]

OK, so I've been reading more and more about people hating it when you post a video and you find silver and rub the dirt off. My question is why?
Is silver that soft where it would scratch it up?
Thanks
Nate

 

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[gleaner1]

How ya gonna know what it is unless you rub the crap out of it?

 

[spartacus53]

I'd go one step further and take a wire brush to it

 

[fistfulladirt]

Yes silver is that soft. In most cases, it's already scratched all to heck. I don't put much value on my dug silver anyway, whether it's a Morgan dollar or an early dated standing lib quarter.

 

[dogpound]

never ever use a wire brush..........grinding wheel works much better

 

[Jason in Enid]

If you aren't sensing the sarcasm here, yes silver is that soft. Dirt contains sand. When you rub the dirt off a coins it is just like rubing sandpaper across it.

True, most silver coins aren't going to be affected by the small added scratches but a few can be and if you rub them all then it's too late when you find out you just reduced the value of a key-date coin.

 

[spartacus53]

Jason in Enid, I'm sure most will agree with what you said... But today, I think the actual coin collecting market may be shrinking, with the exception of a few coins.. The value will lie in the coins silver/gold content.. Besides, most coins that were laying in the ground for a while will have some sort of erosion/scratches just due to the sand/rocks/pebbles surrounding them.

Like I said a key date would be most critical, then again, anything I dig up is "found money", and I wouldn't be too concerned over it's condition. I know there will be many disagreeing with my assessment,

but I'll bet dollars to donuts no one has ever dug an old coin that is in 'MINT" condition

Believe me, I left out the sarcasm too

 

[watercolor]

If you aren't sensing the sarcasm here, yes silver is that soft. Dirt contains sand. When you rub the dirt off a coins it is just like rubing sandpaper across it.

True, most silver coins aren't going to be affected by the small added scratches but a few can be and if you rub them all then it's too late when you find out you just reduced the value of a key-date coin.

When I found this quarter, all I could see through the clump of mud encasing it were one or two stars
and a sharp reeded edge. I wrapped the coin (mud and all) in a wet leaf and put it in a pill container.
When I got home, I ran it under tap water and with a Sable watercolor brush, GENTLY dislodged the
remaining dirt. If I had field-cleaned this coin by rubbing it between my fingers, it would have been a
numismatic disaster. Also, it gave me something to look forward to on the way home

 

[DigginThePast]

If you aren't sensing the sarcasm here, yes silver is that soft. Dirt contains sand. When you rub the dirt off a coins it is just like rubing sandpaper across it.

True, most silver coins aren't going to be affected by the small added scratches but a few can be and if you rub them all then it's too late when you find out you just reduced the value of a key-date coin.

When I found this quarter, all I could see through the clump of mud encasing it were one or two stars
and a sharp reeded edge. I wrapped the coin (mud and all) in a wet leaf and put it in a pill container.
When I got home, I ran it under tap water and with a Sable watercolor brush, GENTLY dislodged the
remaining dirt. If I had field-cleaned this coin by rubbing it between my fingers, it would have been a
numismatic disaster. Also, it gave me something to look forward to on the way home

Awesome piece and awesome handling of it!

natepen, see my post on your other thread:
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,452485.msg3202651.html#msg3202651

 

[spartacus53]

Better yet natepen, read mine for the true story

 

[illinidigger]

Nothing to be gained from rubbing them, only lost. I'll rub a coin clean if I can make out a date easily and know it is not a key date. I learned early on when I rubbed to death a seated CC half that my son found while digging a privy. Cleaned it with baking soda too when I got home. AU details and not a nick on it but reduced its value by hundreds of dollars. Alot of silver coins come out of the ground in killer condition because they were not circulated long before dropped. Curiousity killed the cat!

 

[lookindown]

The first thing I do when I find a coin is rub it...if you dont want to rub them thats fine...Its your coin, do what you want with it.

 

[Graddick]

I remember a few weeks ago some posted an IH cent they had found, cleaned meticulously, and ended up having it graded as XF 45 w/ Detail. That was a great reminder to always drop your finds into your pouch and clean them at home. I got into this hobby through coin collecting so condition is always important. What's the point in digging up something only to damage it immediately after? It's like buying a car and immediately slashing the tires.

 

[spartacus53]

Graddick, why bother slashing the tires, the cars value drops nearly 1/2 just leaving the lot

I think some treat coins better than they do people They aren't made of glass and pretty durable from what I recall, and as I mentioned earlier it's found money; more than you started out with

 

[Graddick]

They aren't made of glass and pretty durable

Not when I accidentally scratch one with my digger! I can't repeat what I say whenever I do that. Suffice it to say that the first word is "Oh.."