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General Coin Cleaning Advice
Onedollarnohollar
Posts: 2,035 ✭✭✭✭
<< <i>I have some old coins that are tarnished. How can I safely clean them?
Once a coin has been tarnished, there is no way to completely restore newly-minted luster. Ordinary coins, if they are in reasonably good condition, may be freshened by rubbing them with cheesecloth or cotton that has been moistened with a paste consisting of baking soda and a few drops of water. However, it should be noted that the condition of a coin plays an important part in any valuation of its value as a collector's item. The finish could be inadvertently destroyed or seriously affected by the indiscriminate use of a cleaning agent. If you believe that you have coins that are, or could be, of numismatic value, you should seek advice from a coin dealer or advanced collector regarding methods currently being used by them to clean coins. >>
Agree or disagree? Discuss!
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Comments
<< <i>I have some old coins that are tarnished. How can I safely clean them? >>
if a person has to ask, the answer is unequivocally "don't even think about it"
edited to add:
novices messing with coins is a magical way to turn a moose into a mouse
.
"How to Clean Coins"
It reads:
"Don't"
<< <i>Agree or disagree? >>
Agree with the government? You can, if you like.
<< <i>The shortest book ever written:
"How to Clean Coins"
It reads:
"Don't" >>
<< <i>This is from a 1950's handbook on coins, right? >>
Google is your friend.
The government at work.
That advice definitely needs changed. They need to add that a pencil eraser can brighten your coins.
"To Be Esteemed Be Useful" - 1792 Birch Cent --- "I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin
<< <i>This is from a 1950's handbook on coins, right? >>
Sounds lilke a quote from the first Van Allen-Mallis book. The baking soda idea is surely obsolete at this point. Which doesn't stop mail order and internet sellers from doing it indiscriminatelyt. I remember a local mail order dealer who asked me if I had a 35-S quarter. I brought him a brilliant white gem for maybe $90. A crappy one was worth maybe half. "That'll work great". He immediately went into the back and 5 minutes later came back with a smooth dipped and soda'd coin and I asked him why he'd done it. "Fits in and finishes a set I can ship out to fill an order. If I left it looking like that it would stick out like a sore thumb." I sighed and, per Harry Chapin, I stuffed the bill in my shirt". Ah well......
Many dealers have some idea of how to "clean" coins via thioureic acid (Jewel-Luster et al.). Some know how to neutralize the process (avoid occurence of "dip residue"). Many more do not.
Some coins will benefit. Others will not. Ironically, the best at this are also privy to coin doctoring techniques. How did they learn to do this well? Years and years of experimentation with some failures and increasingly positive results. I've only been paid more than $1,000 to dip a coin a very few times. I've refused to do many many more. And explained why. Too dark, too thick, rub will show, ED lurking... Some listened. Dip residue?
YMMV
In the PNG Coin Doctoring Definition committee dialogue, the idea of dipping provoked more specific arguments as a form of doctoring than any other issue addressed. Feldini and James Garcia were adamant that this is a form of doctoring. On the purest technical level they are correct. A layer of metal, no matter how minute, has been removed.
Nevertheless, as an industry (commercial) standard, that ship has sailed, sillver dollars being the area where it is most prevalent. The mantra even 10 yars ago was "white is right, toned gets boned". Now some here and elsewhere favor originality, attractive or not.
Circ coins below 55 suffer more than mint state coins.
Collect what you like
<< <i>This is from a 1950's handbook on coins, right? >>
LOL!
Collectors of old coins like them to look old. Just like collectors of antique furniture. So don't clean any coins!
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
I have had nice results using MS-70 product Sparingly AND GENTLY.
Removes grime and dirt, does not affect toning.
Started and PRACTICED by using coins that were basically 90% junk, however, some were nice.
Works well.
Mostly used on metal detector recovered coins, last step of the process.
<< <i>Definitely outdated and just plain wrong.....Cheers, RickO >>
And the next page in the book talks about bleeding a patient to lower their fever.
<< <i>
<< <i>The shortest book ever written:
"How to Clean Coins"
It reads:
"Don't" >>
+
swirling brush creates a beautiful effect on copper, silver,
and gold.
And, remember that eye protection is for sissies.
<< <i>The government at work.
That advice definitely needs changed. They need to add that a pencil eraser can brighten your coins. >>
Pencil erasers are fantastic. I once had a guy bring in an 1889-CC morgan. It was a bit dark but a solid XF. Obverse looked nice and original. Of course this guy wanted to make sure it was the coveted CC mintmark so he took a fat pencil eraser and went over the CC until it was nice and bright so you could see it clearly. I gave him a $100 for it, sold it for $150 and called it a day. It wasn't easy to tell the guy he just cost himself over $1500 but I felt he earned it.
<< <i>
<< <i>The shortest book ever written:
"How to Clean Coins"
It reads:
"Don't" >>
Ditto