Cleaning coins: bad idea or just plain bad?

CoinasaurusRex

First of all, an introduction. I'm a newbie collector, a lawyer, and a former lurker on this board. You guys are an intelligent and classy group. I've enjoyed reading your posts.

I have also noticed that the topic of cleaning coins inspires strong--most all negative--reaction. Is this a practical position (ie, cleaning coins just doesn't work) or a philosophical position (ie, coins should be left in their natural state, even if cleaning could make them "look" better).

The question arises because I have bought 600 circulated wheat cents. Most of them are brown or dark brown, but bearable. Some, however, are the nastiest, dirtiest, grimiest, slimiest, gunkiest little discs you have ever seen. You can't even read the dates and lettering sometimes through all the crud. So, yes, I have cleaned a number of them using a variety of means. Relatively mild techniques seem to help a bit without major changes to the coin. Harsher methods turn the coins various shades of unnatural, flat, lifeless colors between metallic salmon and faded orange. Here's the weird part: often the harshly cleaned coins look better to me than their sticky, encrusted precursors.

So, is coin collecting for the enjoyment of the collector--and clean 'em if you wanna, carry 'em in your pocket if you wanna, even spend 'em if you gotta--or do we have a higher calling?

For the record, I have already concluded that any cleaning of even a remotely valuable coin is a very bad idea. But what about those "unsearched," $2.50 per roll circulated, sticky, common wheaties? Is it wrong to have at a few of them so you can read the date, enjoy the metallic salmon sheen, and feel the cool, smooth copper?

Cam40

Welcome aboard.My feelings on cleaning coins,rare or not,sometimes must be done.IMO.

hookedoncoins

Cleaning coins is seen in the coin world as a terrible thing. The reason for that is this. Whether you can see it with the naked eye, cleaning coins with abrasives leaves hairlines and many other ominous signs on the coin. It can also turn the coin unnatural colors. Most collectors want their coins to be free of such an unnatural look. It is this reason that cleaning coins is seen as such a sin. Besides a few exceptions, the only times I will clean a coin is:

1) If it is an ancient coin (this practice is seen as acceptable since most of them were dug)
2) If I found the coin metal detecting.

If you do clean your coins, there are ways to do it that don't damage the coin very much if at all. When I clean ancients I use olive oil. When I clean any other coins I just use soap and water and pat it dry.

Another way to clean coins which is more acceptable is dipping them. This is usually only done with uncirculated coins or almost uncirculated coins. This basically just eats off the outer layer of the coin and takes off any toning, leaving the coin blast white. While many accept this, there are many that don't like doing this practice either.

As for your wheats, if you clean them, I would just use soap and water. Anything else will probably turn them a very unnatural pink. I hope this helps you out.

-Jarrett Roberts

ccr

<< <i>So, is coin collecting for the enjoyment of the collector--and clean 'em if you wanna, carry 'em in your pocket if you wanna, even spend 'em if you gotta--or do we have a higher calling? >>



Here`s a Link to a long article, sectioned by chapters, by one of the most respected coin historians around. It`s written by Q David Bowers and I think it would be a good read whether your a new collector or a seasoned collector.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, Welcome to the Boards.

nwcs

Welcome to the board! I like your user id.

Cleaning is such a broad topic. I think we can break cleaning down into several areas:

1. Conservation of the coin, this is where a very light and carefully applied cleaning is performed to not only improve the appearance of the coin but also to protect it from bad things like pvc, fingerprints, and light-but-unattractive toning.
2. Acetone like cleaning. This is where acetone, or similar product, is used to remove surface contaminants. It has no effect on the coin surface, but removes things on top of it. This is effectively a cleaning, though a safe one.
3. Harsh cleaning. This is the wiping, polishing, dremeling, wire brushing, or over-dipping of a coin to alter its surfaces and make it appear better than what it really is or to hide problems.

Almost everyone likes #2. Most like #1. No one likes #3.

dorkkarl

a process that leaves the coin's original patina is NOT cleaning. ie if you spill coffee on a bu penny, rinse it off immediately, & it remains the same, you didn't clean it.

if you remove encrustation from pennies, but leave the original dark patina behind, you didn't clean it.

if the patina is affected in any way, ie the penny turns orange, you did clean it.

note that "cleaning" as i just illustrated falls under the heading "doctoring coins"

welcome to the forum!

K S

1jester

Welcome to the boards, C-Rex! Glad to have you around.

Great question too. I'd always belonged to the "no cleaning ever" school. As dorkkarl (in my opinion, correctly) defines cleaning, I still belong to that persuasion. I used to never touch a coin for any reason, save for when I started at the age of 5 or 6 and took a pencil eraser to a few wheat pennies. Now I have bought many a coin which needed some type of conservation, due to filmy layers of PVC or something else, or light verdigris accumulation, or some other crud. I have found that soaking coins in extra virgin olive oil will not only help remove most of the extra foreign material (depending of course on what's wrong with the coin), it never damages or discolors the surfaces (some people report that olive oil can indeed darken the surface, but I have yet to encounter that), and even improves the luster of the coin. I've heard that pure mineral oil is superior to olive oil, but I've never tried it. Often in conjunction with a good soak (for a few days or even months), I will lightly and extremely carefully go over the coin with a soft old toothbrush, if needed, to loosen some accumulations. I've had lots of success with this method, but you must take extreme care not to let the dislodged matter itself scratch the surface. Keep the coating of oil on the coin as you do this, and apply fresh oil frequently as you brush. (Some might call me a heretic for making contact with the surface, but how else can you remove the crud?) After brushing, I lightly but firmly dab the coin with a very soft tissue, many times, until it's virtually dry. Then it goes to my 'AT chamber' in direct sunlight for a few weeks or months to 'cure'. Turn the coin over frequently, say every few days. In winter when there's no sunlight, put the coins on a radiator for a few weeks. Place the coins on top of a paper towel, and be sure not to touch the surfaces with your fingers (of course!). Remember to safeguard coins from the cats. By this method, I've made a tremendous difference in many coins, after a slight learning curve. Never use a q-tip, as it encourages scrubbing.

Am I guilty of "AT"?!?!?! I've never created toning, just turned some ugly coins into beauties.

NBSQLGeek

Quick hide this thread before coppercoins sees it.

<shivers and hides in the corner>

Make the bad man go away mommy.

1jester

Hey, Geek!! Is it that bad? Should I edit before it's too late?!



PS: I can't help it; look at what I have to work with here behind the Iron Curtain....

CoinasaurusRex

Thanks to everyone for the informative responses. I won't be cleaning any coins, except maybe for dipping and olive oil soaking. I guess anything more is best left to reputable experts.

dorkkarl

thanks, 1jester, for providing 1 of the best posts ever seen on the forum!

K S