cleaning coins

LBGrob

is there anything someone can do to clean up some nice but dirty coins... or are they done?

I got some old wheats from my grandmas stuff a while back and have them in a bag.... looking at them..they seem decent...but dirty... just wondering.

coinfreak499

Copper is vary hard to clean well. I'd just leve them.

kamehameha00

If their just common date circulated wheaties, go ahead and experiment on them. But DO NOT try to clean better date, problem free, high grade coins. Many a good coin have been ruined through this process.

LeeG

Welcome to the Board!!!! I'm new also to this board. Everyone is very helpful and let you know also if you mess up, which is Great! I'm interested in the answer to this also. There is so much information on the Web about this that you don't know what to do. I know we'll get some good responses to this

lordmarcovan

The general rule of cleaning coins is: Don't.

However, sometimes it is a necessary evil.

If you MUST clean coins, try to do as little as possible so you do not alter their original appearance (aside from removing whatever gunk is on them).

If what you have is a bunch of common Wheat cents, I would recommend rubbing a little Vaseline on each one, then wiping it all off with a paper towel or soft cloth. You'd be surprised what this simple treatment can do for grubby old copper coins. Unless you rub too hard, this should not affect the color of your coins, either, which is good- nothing is worse than a bunch of unnaturally bright orange cleaned cents.

LBGrob

If we rub them wont it leave scratches which will make them looked cleaned? (not sure if this matters for common wheats...but maybe for other coins?)

paigowjohnny

Mix a little gentle soap (live Ivory) in water and just let 'em soak a bit

sliderider

I can't recommend any sort of chemicals or household products that work, because I don't clean under any circumstances, but I can say that if you need something to wipe with, I'd try diaper soft cloth. You can usually get it in auto parts stores near the car wash products. It's probably the softest fabric you can buy, just be sure to constantly check it over to be sure it hasn't picked up any particles that might be abrasive.

DorkGirl

Old coins can be very yucky!! I'm with johnny, just soak them in lukewarm water with a little dishwashing liquid, then rinse well.(This recipe was given to me by my coin dealer!!)

DorkGirl

Forgot to add--don't wipe them to dry, just lay them on a clean towel or paper towel and carefully blot them.

lordmarcovan

<< <i>If we rub them wont it leave scratches which will make them looked cleaned? >>



Yes, if there's any grit or if you rub them too hard. I was just talkin' about a gentle wipe-on/wipe-off treatment of Vaseline for common, lower-value coins. It works pretty well for me at removing verdigris and simple circulation grime, but if you think you're in danger of scratching the coins by wiping them (which shouldn't be a problem with a paper towel), then don't do it.

The dish-detergent soaking method might have some merit, too. Or olive oil, though I prefer the Vaseline to olive oil, since it's easier to remove. Olive oil can leave a sticky residue, but it's good for long, slow soaking. Lots of people use it for those batches of uncleaned ancient Roman coins you can buy in bulk lots. I'm just not patient enough to use the olive oil soaking method. It's excruciatingly slow and slightly messy.

FrattLaw

NEVER wipe a coin. Get a compressed air duster and blow the water ect off the surface of the coin. And make sure you neutralize anything after the wash/dip. Usually alcohol will do and use distilled water as well. Tap water usually has minerals in it that will spot the coins as it would spot the paint on your car.

Michael

sliderider

Sorry, I shouldn't have used the word wipe. Bad verbiage. Dabbing is best or setting the coin on the cloth for a combination of air drying and absorbtion.