Has anyone ever cleaned old paper money?

Yes yes he would and has

 

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I wholeheartedly agree with this. DON'T treat them like you would your coins. They'd look just terrible​ after a trip through the rock tumbler.

 

Whether it is or not, a grain or two will prove very useful with a thread like this.

 

Did you ever notice that some people always do the wrong thing before asking? I would think the law of averages would catch up to them, and accidentally make them right at least once. Unless of course it's intentional.

 

@ Detecto...

YOU are the reason the quote in your signature line holds true. :rollling:

"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value --- zero."



Please, in the future, leave the cleaning of collectibles to professionals. Yes, there are professional paper conservators and notes do get repaired and things removed from them, just as professionals offer market acceptable methods for restoring or improving eye appeal to coins.

 

So, I have a large size silver cert with an unsightly rust stain from a paper clip. If a paper conservator could remove or minimize the stain, would it increase the value, even if it were graded as altered?

 

Well it's going to get an Apparent either way?
Personally, I would rather have rust noted than washed on a slab. Washing typically changes the dimensions of the original note. Not to mention it's personality, and the history of everyone that's touched it.

 

It's never going to be a black/white answer. It ultimately depends on the individual's desire for how much to pay, and beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

There is of course the market sensibilities to consider as well. What is now unacceptable may change at a later time, if the hobby ever becomes more accepting of professional paper conservation the way that NCS are regarded for conserving coins, then cleaning may be more wide spread. Of course it may always prove to be that cleaned coins and notes just take their place in the price scale for the grade given, but that doesn't mean the item will not carry a premium successfully. Many cannot fathom buying a cleaned note, that is, if they know it has been cleaned. Many people, collectors too, may not even be skilled enough to see the results of professional conservation without being told, i.e. noted on a TPG holder that it was cleaned. The specific note one is considering could indeed fetch more if it were cleaned, graded and "altered" because some notes are rare and some factors can be overlooked and a premium earned, even if it's less when compared to an un-altered, problem free (never having a mark such as a rust stain to be removed) note. A common note with a problem removed and noted on a holder does have limited potential for a premium, but may still earn more than if it problem were not removed. It depends on the quality of the restoration. Some restorations are damaging, others are undetectible.

The 'problem' with many notes and the reason they are marked on holders, is that clean was done by unskilled conservators who damaged (altered) the paper surface or harmed the note by their process. This then is equal to a negative towards the note, and when most people see 'apparent' or 'altered' they only see the negatives, of which there are probably many many many more that there are professionally restored notes which also carry the same notations. One needs to know the difference to asses the value, even within cleanings, those by pros vs. those by unprofessional restorers.

These are just some of the things I would consider on a case by case scenario. A hypothetical scenario cannot be used to establish an answer in this area. It's very subjective and as I said, comes down to the individual.... but we should all remember to buy the note, not just what it says on the holder.

 

Old watercolour paintings are sometimes washed with liquid butane gas, this will remove most dirt and wil not fluff up the paper.

 

This past thread on Coin Talk address's cleaning currency, http://www.cointalk.com/t175939/

Hope it helps.

 

When you use that phrase ("history of everyone that's touched it") for a coin, I think, "cool".

When you use it for paper money, I think, "ick".

But, of course, that's just me.

 

The old west was littered with Nationals, to me thats is pretty cool... Of course a lot of those original issued 1875 are trashed, but the Idea of it being in the pocket of an old gold prospector is pretty cool to me.

BTW: Cleaning with mercury or other heavy old school dry cleaning material is one thing, but the idea of billy bing bong dropping it in a sink with bleach -awww

 

I suggest soaking the note in warm water with Dawn dish soap. I add about half as much as I would use to wash the dishes.
When the water turns muddy, change it with fresh soapy water until it remains clear.
Then one last soak in clean water to rinse the soap away.
Place the note between a few sheets of blotter paper under a weight ( a copy of the SCWPM is about right).
After a few hours, replace the blotter paper with dry sheets and put it back under the weight.
Repeat this one more time to insure that the note dries completely while under the weight.

 

I suggest soaking the note in warm water with Dawn dish soap. I add about half as much as I would use to wash the dishes.
When the water turns muddy, change it with fresh soapy water until it remains clear.
Then one last soak in clean water to rinse the soap away.
Place the note between a few sheets of blotter paper under a weight ( a copy of the SCWPM is about right).
After a few hours, replace the blotter paper with dry sheets and put it back under the weight.
Repeat this one more time to insure that the note dries completely while under the weight.

 

The BEP washed notes.

 

Yeah that's JimRob on the right...

 

You just won this thread.

 

In my early twenties I dated a bank teller who would save interesting bills for me.
I'd wAit 'til I had four of them then put one bill in each of the four pockets in a pair of khaki pants. If the bills were really crummy I'd use a pencil eraser on the bad spots. Then wash them with other light colored clothes. Then drape 'em over a clothesline to dry. Finally, iron them with a low+ heated iron. I still have some of those bills. They look pretty good to me.

 

I have a 1899 2 dollar silver certificate..its very wrinkle an old. Should I wipe it with water an let dry or leave it alone?is there any way I can make it look crisper an unwrinkle?

 

I have a 1899 2 dollar silver certificate..its very wrinkle an old. Should I wipe it with water an let dry or leave it alone?is there any way I can make it look crisper an unwrinkle?