Why not clean coins?

[Guest Jon Hill]

Hi,

Reading another thread in this forum I see that advice is not to clean coins. Why is this, what about different metals, and why is vinegar a bad idea?

Regards,

Jon

[william 0]

Hi Jon,

Cleaning coins changes the appearance of the coin, and in most collectors' opinions, it ruins the appearance. The tone changes, and the con becomes unaturally shiny. Therefore, cleaning a coin detracts greatly from its value.

Vinegar is a bad idea, beacause dipping coins in acid makes them really horrible, the tone gets ruined, and yellow stuff forms on the coin, and it can start to smell (thats what happened when i dipped a 1967 penny!).

[Sylvester 15]

Let me put it another way... Cleaning coins can be alot like cleaning a car... with sandpaper.

Both get scratched, both look awful when done, both are pretty much destroyed.

Vinegar is an acid and thus will basically just eat the coin away. Would you dip an antique vase for example into an acidic solution that could eat away it's patina and gloss... and totally ruin it? You might but if it was worth anything before you can be assured it's not afterwards.

[Master Jmd 89]

And also it is basicly 'renewing' a piece of coin history...would you prefer an old real peice of 'untampered' coinage or a 'renewed' shiney and off-putting cleaned coin?

...i would cirtainly prefer an 'untampered' piece

Edited July 17, 2004 by Master Jmd

[Sylvester 15]

Would you prefer the car as it came albeit a little dull and dirty, or would prefer it converted into a bright shiny three wheeler?

You may wonder what that's got to do with anything but an uncleaned coin is alot like a four wheel car, it has certain advantages over it's cleaned and now disadvantged three wheeled brethren.

[Guest Jon Hill]

Thanks for the advice,

I find my coins with a metal detector most can be very dirty. Whats the best advice just warm soapy water and a soft brush to clean them?

Regards,

Jon.

[Sylvester 15]

Thanks for the advice,

I find my coins with a metal detector most can be very dirty. Whats the best advice just warm soapy water and a soft brush to clean them?

Regards,

Jon.

Gold and silver coins yes that would be okay... if they are dug up then you will probably have to clean them a little, usually just to identify them, but you must do it with care.

Base metal cupro-nickel, nickel-brass even more care, they are harder and thus the brush won't damage them as much as silver but they are more reactive that the gold/silver coins... it'd be pretty pointless to clean cupro-nickel or nickelbrass anyhow cos those coins are usually only worth anything in absolute top grades

Copper well there is no safe way to clean copper/bronze coins that i know of so you'll just have to be careful.

If we're talking UK coins then anything hammered clean with care and it'll probably still be worth something cos most hammered coins have been dug up at one point or other and the whole cleaning issue is totally different with those... obviously you don't vinegar them or anything but if cleaned carefully with distilled water and a soft brush they will probably still go for something nearer the catalogue value.

Roman coins etc, clean away... most Roman coins on the market have been cleaned anyhow at some point or other, try to minimise the damage though.

Dug up Gold and silver Milled coins before 1816 are probably worth cleaning cos they'll still fetch a few quid. (nothing like the book price but they be worth something), gold and silver 1816-1920 are always worth their bullion, most of them will propbably be low grade and not worth too much anyhow so cleaning them won't knock that much off. Any milled copper or any coins after 1920 probably aren't really worth the hastle. They're not worth all that much anyhow.

[Sylvester 15]

Sorry about the lectures we give on cleaning but we never know until you go into more specifics.

It's not unknown for relatives of a deceased coin collector to find the collection and give it a good spit and polish before taking it for appraisal. Unfortunately i've know coins worth nearly £500 in the condition they were in before cleaning struggle to go for a mere £150 afterwards. That's why we have to really drill home to point, cos we're only trying to save someone the agony of finding out that a collection was worth something a few minutes ago...

Someone also told me, perhaps Chris, of a lady that had decided to sell her husband's old collection of pennies or something she polished them up like shining buttons... unfortunately she polished the value (quite a fair bit too) off as well... tragic really.

[Guest Jon Hill]

Thanks for all the advice, its always best to ask the experts!

Alot of the bronze/copper coins I dig up seem to have gone a dark grey colour, I think due to a reaction with acids in the soil I assume this damage is irreversible. Otherwise they tend to be legible but green, is it best to leave the verdigris on them?

I'll worry about the gold and silver when I find some I'll make sure I show any to you lot first, UNCLEANED!

Jon

[Emperor Oli 0]

I don't think there's anyway to remove verdigris except scraping it off which obviously is not the brightest thing to do. Otherwise, I'm afraid you're stuck with green coins!

[Sylvester 15]

I don't think there's anyway to remove verdigris except scraping it off which obviously is not the brightest thing to do. Otherwise, I'm afraid you're stuck with green coins!

well the thing about verdigris is it's the proverbial catch 22.

One you will damage the coin if you try and remove it, but if you don't remove it then it will spread and consume the whole coin in time.

I'd suggest you try and remove cos it's better have less damage in the long run than more by leaving it.

[colliewalker1 0]

I have just received my very first coin purchase -a Morgan dollar(via Ebay) dated 1890 - the mint reference is O, so it was struck in New Orleans.

The subject of 'cleaning' is an interesting one!

What is meant by 'cleaning' I wonder.....? I can see that applying metal polish would be drastic as this would remove the surface layer of silver and apply a polish: however, in addition to the patina acquired by a coin what about the 'grubbyness'(AKA dirt!)which has built up due to handling, rather than age and which seems to accumulate around the lettering on the edges and the milling in particular?

Is there any merit in DIRT?!

Would a light clean with soapy water still be strictly forbidden??!!

I can see the appeal of 'signs of use'- this conjures up a 'romantic'

association with all the unknown owners of the coin in the past and the numerous items it was used to purchase....

To depart from the immediate subject - it strikes me that to have an uncirculated example as well as used of any given coin is an appealing idea. And no issue of cleaning in that case!

Members' thoughts on the 'soap and water' treatment idea would be appreciated.

Denis

[Master Jmd 89]

Hmm...removing dirt is...well...you can do this under soapy water yes, but remember that cleaning the coin even if it is just dirt is not really a good idea...if i were you i would steer away from cleaning it...

[Emperor Oli 0]

If it's caked in mud, use soap and water. Otherwise, don't clean it - simple!

[Sylvester 15]

i like coins with dirt on...

Well toning is what i'd call it, dirt is what non collectors call it... something about toned coins (as long as it's not bright flourecent colours of course)!

[Half Penny Jon 0]

i like coins with dirt on...

I don't know if my one is "dirty" as such but my 1931 halfpenny has mixed tones and speckles around the legends and making it very appealing.

[Sylvester 15]

i like coins with dirt on... 

I don't know if my one is "dirty" as such but my 1931 halfpenny has mixed tones and speckles around the legends and making it very appealing.

i don't like speckeled toning though. Infact i don't like copper toned, i like it freshly struck... or at least looking like it's only been struck for about 10 minutes.

[Half Penny Jon 0]

So do I but I would much rather prefer attractive copper toning to a bright shiny silver coin which looks more like a sparkling button than a coin.

[Sylvester 15]

I prefer silver toned, a nice blue or grey and nothing comes close.

Although i actually really prefer gold over everything.