How to Clean Coins Safely
Saturday September 23, 2006
Newcomers to the hobby of coin collecting, as well as people who find (or inherit) a stash of old coins, frequently ask how they can clean their coins. The simple answer to this question is "don't!"
If you clean your coins improperly (which is very easy to do) you will significantly reduce their monetary value. One of the best and fastest ways to ruin a valuable and rare coin is to use a silver dip type cleaner, or rub it with something abrasive like Wright's silver polish. (For more ways to easily ruin your coins, see the Top 7 Ways to Ruin Your Coins.) Believe it or not, your old coins are virtually always worth more with the toning on them, than with the toning removed. Better yet, don't let them get toned in the first place!
Having said all that, sometimes it is appropriate to give certain coins a careful washing with mild detergent and warm water. For example, if you decide to help a youngster start their first coin collection using the advice given in How to Start a Coin Collection on $4, gently washing the coins is a good idea because coins in circulation are very unclean, carrying all kinds of germs and filth. In fact, about the only time it is correct to clean coins is to give recently circulated coins a good washing for hygenic reasons. But don't ever immerse uncirculated or proof coins in any substance to clean them, not even water!
If you have some coins that you think need cleaning, follow the easy steps in How to Safely Clean Your Coins, and if this advice doesn't solve the problem, come ask for help in our Coin Collecting forum, before you ruin them!
If you clean your coins improperly (which is very easy to do) you will significantly reduce their monetary value. One of the best and fastest ways to ruin a valuable and rare coin is to use a silver dip type cleaner, or rub it with something abrasive like Wright's silver polish. (For more ways to easily ruin your coins, see the Top 7 Ways to Ruin Your Coins.) Believe it or not, your old coins are virtually always worth more with the toning on them, than with the toning removed. Better yet, don't let them get toned in the first place!
Having said all that, sometimes it is appropriate to give certain coins a careful washing with mild detergent and warm water. For example, if you decide to help a youngster start their first coin collection using the advice given in How to Start a Coin Collection on $4, gently washing the coins is a good idea because coins in circulation are very unclean, carrying all kinds of germs and filth. In fact, about the only time it is correct to clean coins is to give recently circulated coins a good washing for hygenic reasons. But don't ever immerse uncirculated or proof coins in any substance to clean them, not even water!
If you have some coins that you think need cleaning, follow the easy steps in How to Safely Clean Your Coins, and if this advice doesn't solve the problem, come ask for help in our Coin Collecting forum, before you ruin them!
Comments
I would suggest to anyone not to clean coins and especially not with silver dip which cleans to much in once.
If you do that on ancient roman coins you can’t even sell them as they believe then to see a fake.
Cleaning Silver Coins
Silver is antibacterial, antifungal & antiviral. Us, Canadian,English, Scandinavian, & German coins all have these qualities. Not as grimmy as one would think.
there is gunk on my silver coins and my gold coins are not shiny what do i do
Leave them alone! Do not wash, rinse or put anything on them, they are worth more leaving them in their natural condition.
my father had nickels and quarters in a glass cup for yrs. and now they are all green.
how can i get that stuff off?
I have recently acquired an odd coin that looks gold but tarnished like a penny. Even where the coin has pitted from the corrosion looks gold. there aren’t any distictive minting except for a few small crescent shaped stamps. Any information you could give me would be helpful
I have just gotten the proof set of 1967 coins still in the original box. To say the least, they look in very rough shape. They are turning green with black spots. Is there something I can do and not ruin them. This is the only coins that I have in this shape. Older coins I have have faired much better. Help!