| Home | Collectibles | Cleaning Coins |

How to Clean Coins

Don't

What You Should Know About Cleaning Coins

If you have recently acquired a few collectible coins, you may be surprised at their condition. It is common for older coins, as well as newer coins that have been in circulation, to appear dingy and dirty.

Older coins may be tarnished or appear cloudy. Your natural reaction to such an item may well be to clean it up. After all, we are raised with the belief that clean, shiny items are far more preferable than those that are old, worn or dirty.

Why You Should Not Clean Coins

However, old coins are the exception to that rule. As a natural part of their aging process, coins tend to develop a light patina that can actually enhance their worth.

Coin collectors tend to look for these natural changes as proof of the coin’s age and origin.

Professional grading does not count either cleanliness or dirtiness toward a coin’s grade, but will deduct worth for coins that have been damaged. Cleaning a coin can cause damage, thereby diminishing the coin’s value.

The process of cleaning often leaves tiny scratches that show up under a magnifying glass and lower the value of the coin.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. If you collect coins for their beauty rather than their investment value, then you may want to clean them in order to enhance their aesthetics.

If you want to collect coins that have been in recent circulation, you may want to clean off germs.

But, think carefully about the reasons that you want to clean your coins, and decide whether the benefit outweighs the likely damage to the coin’s value. If you decide to proceed, do so carefully.

Encapsulated Coins

If you buy professionally graded coins they will come encapsulted in a plastic "slab" with a high definition picture and discription also enclosed.

In addition to protecting the coin from further wear and protecting it from the environment, this process will ensure that if you go to sell the coin, there will be no issue over grade.

However, slabbed coins are not very pretty. They really don't show the coin in its fullest light.

Of course it is best to leave the coins in the slab and I would never recommend otherwise.

However, if you wish to create a more attractive presentation, you can carefully - very carefully - break open the slab. They are tough and you have to use utmost care not to damage the coin at all.

You can then place tghe coin in reopenable capsules especially made for that purpose. These coins fit into specially designe albums. You can get a far better view of the coins and enjoy them more fully.

Save the grading picture that came with the slab.

Be aware that doing this might effect the value of your coin.

How to Clean Coins

With any collectible item, the least invasive methods should be used for cleaning.

For coins, a quick dip in a mild soap solution should take care of most surface dirt and debris.

Wash your hands thoroughly. Fill a lightweight plastic container (not glass or metal, which could scratch the coin) with warm water.

Add a small squirt of mild dishwashing liquid. Fill a second container with warm distilled rinse water. Lay out a soft towel for drying.

Dip the coin into the soapy water and gently rub it with your fingers. Do not touch the coin with your fingernails.

Rub the coin lightly, from the center outward toward the edges. If you feel gunk or debris, agitate the coin in the water to loosen it. Your fingers should be used only to push the gunk off the edge of the coin.

Rinse the coin thoroughly under running water until you no longer feel soap residue. If you loosen new debris, dip the coin back in the soapy solution and agitate it carefully.

Next, swish the coin in the final rinse water, handling it only by the edges.

Lay the coin out on the soft towel to air dry.

If you want to dry the coins more quickly, pat them with the towel. Never rub them dry. Do not put the coins away until they are perfectly dry.

You can buy dipping solvents that are supposed to remove tarnish without damaging the coin. This procedure is best left to an expert and probably should not be attempted with any coin of value.

The Bottom Line

Cleaning coins should be avoided whenever possible if you plan to keep the coins as investment pieces.

If you do decide to take steps to clean your coins, it is important to use only mild dish soap. Removing the patina is not recommended, and it is important never to use harsh cleansers, polishes or other chemicals, which can cause irreparable damage to the coin.

  | Top | Collectibles | Home |