Cleaning-- How Times Change
Veep
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I bought a Whitman coin board of "V" Nickels (missing all of the key dates). When I flipped it over, I saw the strong advice to clean the nickels before putting them in the board. 
"Let me tell ya Bud, you can buy junk anytime!"
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The soft eraser is really bad advice. I don't know how long ago this was, but it was NOT included on the first Whitman album - boards I received on Christmas Day, 1959.
wow that's just incredible to think about. I know that the advice not to clean your coins goes back before then. really surprised. Thanks for sharing @BillJones
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One of these, then vinegar.
I am sorry. I gave you bad advice. There is nothing about cleaning the coins in those albums. I have a bad habit of leaving off the adverb "NOT" when I'm typing. It's in my mind, but not in my hands.
when I'm typing. It's in my mind, but not in my hands.
1 out of 2 ain't bad at that age!
This board has a 1938 copyright.
We have to assume it was for folk taking change out of pockets and then collecting them on the board. Perhaps back in the times they had worries about transfer of viruses. Wish we could go back and find out what was behind that thinking. It seems real specific, Erase the coins natural luster, then be sure to kill it off with the V.
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Apparently it is still out to clean coins with erasers. Method 5
Courtesy of Professor Greybeard is to use an eraser to clean pennies. Remove oxides like mistakes on paper. LOL
http://www.mrbondscienceguy.com/cleaning-pennies
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Maybe those who collect ancient coins were involved with writing the information for the folders. Cleaning is an accepted practice in the ancient coin world because so many of them are salvaged out of the ground.
" Don't believe anything you read, and only half of what you see " ( as my mom often said )
@BillJones said: "Maybe those who collect ancient coins were involved with writing the information for the folders. Cleaning is an accepted practice in the ancient coin world because so many of them are salvaged out of the ground."
Come on Bill. While Ancient collectors/dealers/diggers very often clean their coins, in my research I have never seen any person with knowledge on the subject of ancients recommend using erasers. However, before our time, some supposedly "knowledgeable" U.S. numismatists did make this recommendation as evidenced by the coin board. The ignorant still use them on their coins.
The Red Book used to advise cleaning silver coins with baking soda.
This was in the mid 60s.
In the 70's, my Dad regularly cleaned silver dollars with baking soda and water. Now in his mid-80's, he still likes shiny coins better. When I show him a nicely skinned over coin, he asks why I didn't give it a dip. I'm glad he's still around to voice his opinion.
Mr Clean is okay, but I prefer a regular Brillo pad, or one of those non abrasive green Scotch Brite pads. The new Scrub Daddy really cleans em nice n shiny. On the serious side, my grandmother had a collection of Morgans and Walking Liberties...she promised to give them to me one day. I asked her to see them and she brought out a box of coins, and I was horrified..."What happened to your coins Grandma?????" "I cleaned them for you, with bleach!"
I can remember, as a lad (8 or 9), cleaning some cents with an eraser..... made them look new....must be where I started my dislike for tarnish....
Cheers, RickO
I remember as a HS freshman getting an 1891-S Dollar in change in 1965 somebody ruined w an eraser - it was probably an MS65 DMPL before that.
When I was in the 6th grade our teacher each student a couple of 1943 steel cents and a Brillo pad to shine them up. He told us the Brillo would not damage them.
Whoa really? Brillo on steel pennies....yikes!!!!
Keep in mind that > @Veep said:
You have to remember that just four years prior to Whitman publishing this coin board (circa 1938) they had absolutely nothing to do with the hobby. Only after assisting Joseph Post in his successful invention of the coin board did Whitman discover how successful they could be in the field of numismatic. Prior to selling coin boards, Whitman produced children's books, puzzles, and other paper products.
I would be interested to see if there are any of these boards with coins in them that were cleaned this way.
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What about toothpaste?
From time to time I come across boards with early dates that have been cleaned. It's unfortunate but understandable. At the time these coins were worth very little and were not considered worthy of serious collectors.
All I can say is AAARRRGGGHHH!!!
Ah, well this coin board is also from an era where it was common practice to strip the original green paint off of Winsor chairs and apply Amber varnish to make them more "colonial".