Numismatic "Conservation"

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Reportedly, an interesting article appeared in the March 2007 issue of Numismatist. It was entitled "Awash in Controversy" and was written by Wyatt Yeager, the ANA Collections Manager. In it:

Mr. Yeager defines three different kinds of "numismatic conservation" -- archaelogic, numismatic, and curatorial -- and explains the steps that he took in conserving a 1923 Peace Dollar. In this article, he writes: "Yes, I could take extra steps to bring the piece up to market standards, such as employing diluted nitric or hydrochloric acid and using a razor blade to outline and sharpen features, but why?" [...] he defines the goal of "numismatic" conservation as "achiev[ing] better highlights and definition before the coin enters the marketplace".

So according to the ANA collection manager as recently as 2007, tooling will take a coin "up to market standards"? Which market? Mr Wyatt of course was later found to have been using his position at the ANA to do a little marketing of his own.

Interestingly Yeager was a former conservation laboratory director for Odyssey Marine Exploration in Tampa, Fla. He had a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and archaeology from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree in museum science from the University of Leicester in England. He had worked on weaponry at the Kearst Museum in Berkeley, Calif., at the National Museum of Ireland and on coins salvaged from the SS Republic. From 2004 to 2006 it seems he also served as “Chief Archaeological Conservator” for Numismatic Guaranty Corp.. Yeager has (had apparently) a "marine archaeology conservation methods and formulae" website.