Coin cleaner info

ldferg

I'm a card guy and have ran across some baseball coins from 1990 that are dingy looking. I plan to have some of these graded to help some player set collectors. Is there a PSA-approved cleaner for coins or is this considered taboo?

Insider2

I clean coins and have never heard of any organization approving a product. 20% of cleaning is the product. What product to use, when to use it, and how to use it is the other 80%.

What are the "coins" made of? PCGS conserves coins. At least they did when David Hall was there. Someone wrote that he did all the conservation so you may want to check.

ldferg

Looks like brass. Here is an auction with one of the coins. The back of the pack states "die struck in brass".

https://ebay.com/itm/New-in-Package-1990-Bandai-Sports-Stars-Bo-Jackson-Baseball-Collectors-Coin/303004077188?hash=item468c734c84:g:sGAAAOSwyYRcHB2c:sc:USPSFirstClass!37210!US!-1:rk:10:pf:0

Namvet69

Soak in acetone will do no harm. Do not rub the coin with anything. If it's dingy, acetone may dissolve plastic film, if it's a poor manufacturing, it is what it is. Peace Roy

YQQ

Here is what I have done in the distant past with very ugly and dirty coins and when I was sure that the outcome can only be positive.** "Some coins just need to be washed"**. Here is what you need:

a pyro pan, the ones they used 30 40 years ago
an old electric toothbrush
a drop of liquid "Ivory" dish soap
1/2 liter of bottled water
1 large sheet of kitchen paper 3-4 times folded.
a cotton rug

procedure:

squirt a drop of soap into the Pyrex container
add water about 1/2 -3/4 full
lay the paper into it, last fold open folded.
lay coins on the paper , not touching each other
fold the other half of the paper over the coins.
make sure everything is nice and wet.
then turn your stove burner to low -very low
let it sit until it gets really warm and the soap emits bubbles.
torn to the lowest stage for about 10 Min. (watch that water remains in bowl.)
then turn stove off and let it cool to very warm
use electric tooth brush on each coin.
remember, the bristles are much softer than the metal and will not harm the coin.
rinse the coins and pat dry with a cotton rag.

this procedure removes almost all dirt and grime including grease and grid.
The result can surprise you as suddenly all the dirt on the coin is gone and a F can often become a VF or even better.
There should NOT be any "cleaned" trace of the "wash" visible when the coin is dry.
HOWEVER, please do this only with coins where you are sure that they can not be harmed any further as they are!!!
try it, you might like it. all at your own risk!