How to clean
Calvinhardiman
Posts: 95 ✭✭✭
Can you clean a coin without damaging it?
Best Answers
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amwldcoin
Posts: 11,269 ✭✭✭✭✭
acetone is about the only true blue safe method on anything but copper if you don't know what you are doing. Do not abraid the coin with anything!
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Gluggo
Posts: 3,566 ✭✭✭✭✭
I don’t clean any of my coins. They are left alone and I accept their current condition. I try to buy coins that are problem free. If they have a problem then I buy it accepting the problems.
I have passed on coins with problems and it’s important to inspect both sides of the coin before you buy them.5 -
Gluggo
Posts: 3,566 ✭✭✭✭✭
Just picture microscopically the fine granular of dust and sand grinding into your coins, laying an invisible layer of scratches and grooves into your coins, as you carefully wipe them clean with your soft cloth that the water missed.
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SilverProofQuarter1883
Posts: 1,865 ✭✭✭✭✭
Big Rule in Coin Collecting DON’T CLEAN COINS!!!! When you clean coins you wipe the value away. Best to keep the coin alone and protected like in a coin slip 😊. Good luck collecting 👍👍👍👍👍
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Answers
I never cleaned one befor. But would like to make it cleaner
It has no real value It is a Lincoln bicentennial from 2009. I'm trying to complete the set. I find 99% of my coins in pocket change
Even If the coin is extremely dirty don’t clean. If you want a nice looking new shiny coin you can buy the 2009 bicentennial commemoratives for $2.99. Hear is a links on eBay 👍
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Complete-Set-Lincoln-Bicentennial-2009-Cent-Penny-P-D-From-Mint-Rolls-8-Coins/281657077940?epid=921350363&hash=item419411f0b4:g:nEQAAOxyBotTXaWw
I just wanted to get some of the blackish dirt off of it. I just have fun collecting then by pure luck but thanks for the site.
Okay 👌 if you collect with luck and you enjoy it. Go right ahead😄 👍
I'm sure you can find a 2009 in better condition so search a little longer.
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Cleaning coins is like rebuilding the transmission in your car. Even if you have detailed instructions, your success will depend on a number of factors, Experience, Mechanical aptitude, having the correct tools, understanding how all the transmission parts work, etc. Some people are naturals even with little experience, and others will continue to make mistakes after numerous attempts (I fall into the latter category).
Answering a general question about cleaning coins is similar. Have you tried to clean coins in the past? Do you have a basic understanding of the chemistry involved with the various methods (acetone, chemical dips, etc)? Do you understand the effects of chemical and mechanical changes on luster and metal surfaces? Do you know anything about the “dirt” you’re trying to remove? Is it toning? contamination? adhered material? Organic or surface reaction?
OK, now your beginning to see why there isn’t a generic answer to help new collectors. Since everybody has different skills and experience levels, and it’s very easy to ruin a coin by making a mistake, the best advice is “DON”T Clean Your Coins”! I’m sure somebody can walk you through the steps needed, but this takes a lot of back and forth questions/answers, and that is difficult to do on forums like this.
Hope this helps
Cleaning coins, beyond an acetone soak to remove organics, is a dangerous and usually damaging endeavor. Signs of abrasion, remaining residues, and evidence displayed in protected areas will either be obvious, or show up later. Unless you are trained in such things (such as a TPG conserving group), it is best to leave the coin alone. Cheers, RickO
Since you are referring to a 2009 Lincoln cent, go ahead and do anything you want to it. You might want to assemble 10 or 20 modern Lincoln cents and experiment with various cleaning methods, including soap and water, vinegar, ammonia, and so on. Yes, you will ruin most of the coins, but they will still be worth one cent, and you will learn about what NOT to do with a collector coin. By the way, copper-plated zinc is one of the most chemically reactive compositions you will encounter -- you might dissolve one of them if you really try. Be careful not to poison yourself, but have at it!
I wish products would stop claiming they don’t remove toning. In my experience every product removes or changes toning due to alteration of the thin film that creates it. If you are removing anything from a coin, you remove or change the toning - usually for the worse.
Never clean a coin.
Conservation is left for the professionals.