question about cleaning again

[melmcbee]

Everything I read says that it is very bad to clean coins, so why do the sellers on ebay sell stuff for cleaning? If you have older coins, what are the safe ways to clean them if there is any way. I mean if you dig something out of the ground is it worthless because there is no way to clean it or what about corrosion or grime or whatever. Thanks in advance for any info ya'll can give.

 

I know ya'll cant wait for those books I have ordered to arrive . Me either

 

As I always say ya'll are the greatest

[kryptonitecomics]

Yes, cleaning coins is typically a no no. Their are some exceptions like in the case of Ancients or dug coins.........cleaning is typically necesary and is acceptable in most cases. It can and will affect the value of the coin when talking about most US coins, but not being able to make out a date or details because of dirt or corosion doesn't help the value either.

 

 

Cleaning a coin with a mild soap and water solution is general the way to go, but when a copper coin has been in the ground for centuries then typically a potato or Electrolysis will be used to clean the coin.

 

Most of the cleaners I see for sale are coin dips. These are acidic soltuions that remove tarnish from a coins surface thereby making the coin more presentable and or allowing the coins luster to show through.

 

Millions of coins have been dipped and the look of the coin improved and literally hundreds of thousands of these coins have made there way into PCGS, NGC, ANACS etc holders so the bottom line is.......when done properly.....it can add value to certain coins that would otherwise be unsellable or sell for a much lower price.

 

Since the acidic solution actually removes small amounts of silver from the coins surface, inproperly dipping a coin or repeated dippings can remove the luster or cartwheel effect from a coins surface leaving it dull and lifeless. When this happens the coins value drop substantially as the eye appeal is lost.

 

As a beginner I would advise you not to clean coins at all. If you dig up a coin and want to use soap and water ...go for it. If you buy a silver coin that has ugly or splotchy toning then your best bet would be to find a dealer in your area and have them carefully dip the coin for you.

[EZ_E]

Becareful because just wiping a coin with cloth will leave very fine scratches called hairlines. If you just must clean coins then practice with pocket change first.

[TomB]

Don't clean any coins!!!

 

That's really all you need to know at this time. The reason others will sell things to clean coins is because they will make money off of the folly of others. After all, it won't be their coins that are ruined.

[melmcbee]

Thanks for all of the input. I would never attempt to clean any coin anyway. I like the natural old look. However a friend of mine has been cleaning his Grandfather's collection and I went off on him and said to never, ever, ever do it. He is the one who suggested the idea of dirt or corosion. If I have all of your permission I would like to email him this post so he will see the suggestions. My suggestion was find a well trained dealer that new what they were doing. But I didn;t have the experience to back it up so I told him I would ask "the most intelligent people in the world" Ya'll

 

It's getting deep huh?

[topsman]

NEVER EVER CLEAN

 

I wish I would have know about all this when I inherited my first coin collection a decade ago.

 

Only problem I've noticed about expiremtining on pocket change is that cleaning (mainly the cleaners/methods used) has different effects on a clad coin verus a silver coin.

 

Anyway you go about it don't clean unless your absolutly postive you should. There are a very few cases where cleaning might improve the coin, but 99.9% of the time your better off leaving it alone. You can't make the coin dirty again once you've cleaned it.

[kranky]

In a recent copy of Coin World, they quoted one of the graders from ANACS who said someone had recently submitted a number of Indian Head cents, but had cleaned them all before submitting. He estimated that the owner lost $10,000 in value by cleaning them.

 

Most non-collectors don't understand why they shouldn't clean coins because they think the coins look "better" after cleaning. What they don't know is that what looks better to them, looks a lot worse to collectors. A cleaned coin has a look which is unattractive to collectors.

[HaydenTubbs]

NEVER EVER CLEAN

 

[CarlWohlforth]

Any abrasive cleaning at all will greatly lower the value of high quality coins. That include any rubbing with a cloth or use of silver polish or the like.

 

Dipping, when done expertly, can remove "ugly" toning. This process doesn't involve any abrasion. However even experts mess up and leave residue which ruins the coin. Also some "ugly" toning is actually appreciated by some collectors.

 

If you dig a coin out of the ground it isn't likely to be very high quality. You can rinse the dirt off. You can soak copper coins in olive oil. These coins are likely to be corroded anyway.

[James_OldeTowne]

The best advice is definitely "do not clean your coins" (or anybody else's). Some of the "cleaners" you see are used to remove contaminants from coins in order to preserve them from deterioration. For example, PVC residue that remains on a coin will damage it over time, and it is best to remove the PVC with any one of several cleaning methods. But that should be strictly left to a professional! I have seen more coins ruined by improper cleaning than you can imagine.

 

I recently bought two complete sets of Peace dollars. Both sets were nice - except for the 1928. In one set, sadly, the 1928 has a beautiful UNC-63 reverse - and the obverse was horribly cleaned. Half the value of this coin was lost because of the improper cleaning. In the other album, the 1928 was only XF or so, but again, it has been scrubbed and hailined to death, and instead of being a $400 coin, I'll be lucky to get $200 for it on eBay.

 

So in summary, please abide by excellent advice others have mentioned, Don't clean your coins, not for any reason!!!!!!!!

 

Oh, and good luck!

 

James

[TomB]

It's funny you should mention your Peace dollar sets, James, as I heard a rumble go through a number of dealers at a Baltimore show about four years ago. It seems that someone local had a classic commem type set that they had acquired, likely inherited, and they cleaned all the coins before the show so that they would look better! The set might have plummeted from about $15,000 to perhaps $3,000 from one afternoon of mistreatment.