But then, if you sold them should you not specify that they were cleaned? I mean I'm not picking nits here, but in coin collecting we are very up-front about cleaning, and it's a no-no. But in chipping, how do you know if the chip was cleaned?

The Archaeologist in me says yes. The chip should be lightly cleaned to determine the wear and age.

The Collector in me says no. You should never alter an examples appearance.