I've read many websites that says cleaning coins is a big no-no. I have to admit I'm at a loss to comprehend it. Sort of like saying a dirty car is worth more than a clean car. If that were so dealerships would not clean the cars before trying to sell them to people. That being said, I wanted to talk a little about it. I looked through the FAQ on this site and I also searched for the keyword "cleaning" in the forums and to my surprise nothing was found. So I figured I'd just start a thread. I'd like to point out that so far all of the coins I've collected are essentially for their bullion value. I only collect silver, gold, copper, and nickel. Mostly silver, though. When buying a coin I never pay more for it than its metal value, with the exception of the American Silver Eagle coins as they tend to go for a small premium. As much as I'd love to have bullion coins with Mr.Spock or other cool things on the front of them, I'm just not willing to pay twice the metal value for stuff like that. However, even though my coins are for investment I still like them to look nice and sometimes I like to just admire them. So I decided to clean some of them recently. First I tried this trick I saw on youtube for cleaning silver coins. I put a piece of foil in a bowl and poured hot salt-water solution into it. I dipped the tarnished coin but nothing happened. That is, until I realized I needed to touch the coin to the metal. The reaction was instant. I mean less than a second. I was blown away. Then I realized what was happening and that it was an electric current being created from the two metals. One of my Morgan silver dollars was just nasty and almost black looking. Now it looks shiny and new. I can't imagine it affected its bullion value any. But it sure is a lot more pleasing to the eye now. I also tried some pennies, just out of sheer curiosity. I had read that I should use vinegar and salt and just let them sit there for 10 minutes, then rinse them in water.. I had a whole bunch of old nasty looking wheat-pennies. None of them were worth more than a few cents so I figured what the heck. The odd thing is, most of them came out looking great. But one of them turned black for some reason. It is the same year as several of the other pennies but its like it is made from a different metal. Sorry I can't remember the year right now as I'm at work. However, next I'd like to try on some old silver quarters, dimes, and 40% silver half-dollars. These are all heavily circulated and I can't imagine they are worth anything other than their bullion value. But being they aren't pure silver like the Morgan and after the experience i had with the black penny, I'm not sure about trying to clean these type of coins using the same method. So I was looking to see what the preferred method is for those type of coins.
That is very interesting. I have some morgans that the finish looks rough. I assume they were cleaned. The point is not to hurt the finish, correct? I am going to try cleaning my dirty coins. They clean ship wreck coins, so it can be done without harm. I would also be interested in other proven ideas...Coins are beautiful without the grim of life. Let us know how you make out with the rest. please.
I'll be darned.. you are right. I just looked it up on Wikipedia. Turns out they are 90% silver just like the pre 1965 quarters, dimes, etc. Well, I guess that settles it then. Since it didn't hurt the Morgan I would think it should be safe on the rest of my 90% silver coins.
Funny, I just put the word "cleaning" into the search section here on CT and it came up with more than 5 pages of threads. So there has been a lot of talk about cleaning coins on this forum. Probably a lot more people will talk about it, as it seems to be something that newbie collectors really want to do to pretty up their dirty coins. But it is not the same as cleaning a car. No one normally inspects the car metal that was cleaned to see if there was cleaning before they buy, and they also don't generally value a car more highly uncleaned than clean. Coins, however, are more valued - in general - much more highly when they are "uncleaned", meaning that no artificial methods were used that would harm the original surfaces. Many coins have been ruined buy people looking to clean them. And anyone who has not checked out whether their coins are truly valuable or just junk (melt price) silver should not be cleaning coins either. Because the cleaning process does effect the coins, and experts in numismatics are able to tell when a coin has been cleaned. That dramatically lowers the value on the coin. And I would never suggest that anyone watch a youtube video on anything and immediately try it, without some thought ahead of time. There are too many idiots out there putting up their videos; people who have no idea of what is what numismatically or otherwise.
I don't know which cleaning methods cause a coin to be slapped with the value degrading label of "cleaned", but I assume they are the ones that harm the surface of the coin, or clean them incompletely. By harming the surface, I'm referring to small scratches and pitting that result from scrubbing or from the use of acids. By not cleaning them comletely, I mean while most of the coin is clean, there is still grime in all the nooks and crannies between the letters and other features of the coin. I might have to try the tinfoil and hot salt water trick on an old chewed up pre-65 coin, just to see what happens and to take a close look at it afterwards. It'll probably be hard to tell if any damage was done since the coin I have in mind already has a lot of damage.
I think the analogy might be more appropriate if the car in question was "cleaned" using 120 grit sandpaper. That would certainly affect it's resale value. Or, if we're talking about classic cars, those that still have their original paint job are usually worth more than those that have been repainted. But yes, coins are different than cars. When I look at a 19th century coin, I like to see some age on it. It helps me appreciate how old the coin is.
People should just leave coins in the condition they find them in. Tarnish, or toning, is from a naturally occurring process.
I can't explain it. I just tried it again and it came up with a lot of results just as you say. But I tried it twice before posting and there were zero results. I couldn't believe there wasn't already a thread on this, I guess my gut feeling was right. I won't argue with you on that. You are right that is what "other people" or maybe even "most people" prefer is a coin that is not cleaned. Just like most people prefer cars that are cleaned. But what I'm saying I just don't understand why people are like that. Given the choice I'd rather have a clean coin with some minor surface abrasions than a dirty coin that I can't see the surface. Sort if like I'd rather have a clean car with some scratches in the paint than a car so dirty I can't see the scratches. But as I seriously doubt I'll ever buy or own any coins that are valued for their rarity over their bullion value, it is sort of moot with me.
Let's say you have a classic car in mostly perfect condition - original paint, original seats, etc. It's a car that a classic car enthusiast would pay good money for. You have the car, but it's got some dirt and dust on it that needs to be removed. The dirt is stubborn, so you decide use steel wool and some acid to scrub it out. What would happen? Now there's damage to the original paint and probably the underlying metal that can't be undone and the interior is scratched up. You can repaint it and replace the interior, but then it's no longer original. That's the problem with cleaning coins, as many newcomers tend to do it - harshly, with toothbrushes or rough cloths or acid or jewelry polish. Cleaning a coin improperly will lower its value because it's no longer as it was originally. Those methods strip off the original metal and/or leave hairline scratches that ruin the surface. Cleaning it properly - that is, removing dirt or oil carefully without removing tarnish or damaging the metal of the coin - is a lot more work but if done properly will increase the coin's beauty and value. I think a big problem is that to a lot of people, tarnish = dirt. Tarnish isn't dirt. It's natural for the metal to react with the air and change colors over time, that doesn't mean its dirty and in need of cleaning.
Hello adric22, Welcome to the Cointalk forum. I hope that you will search & review some of the past CT threads on cleaning coins. There is much good information in these threads. There is a big difference between conserving a coin using proper methods and harshly cleaning a coin. The later can destroy the coin's asthetics and value to coin collectors. I hope that you will hold-off on cleaning your coins until after you have gleened some of the experience from some of the pros here at CT. Perhaps you could post some coins here & ask for comments on how to properly conserve them. I personally like my 100 year old coins to look 100 years old and natural. IMO this is an example of a toned natural looking 100 year old coin. It has eye appeal & value to me. As it looks, I would like to buy it. If the toning were removed properly, I would not want to buy it. If the toning were removed improperly, it would be worth close to melt IMO. I don't own this coin. lkeigwin posted it here recently & I just re-posted the photo. When you have questions about cleaning post here at CT or feel free to send me a PM.
The closer analogy, which has been alluded to already is this: You have a classic car, let's say a '57 chevy. What's better? The car with it's original parts, body, engine, etc. (even though some has been restored), or a '57 Chevy with an aftermarket kit: lowered, big huge rims, new different fenders, those Euro headlights/tail-lights, a completely different engine, different unholstering, etc. So it's ok to properly Restore a coin, but not a lot of people can do it properly. Or you can ruin it, leaving a flat, dull, luster-less, acid-eroded, hairline covered version of what was once a decent coin with original surfaces. It's your call.
Good thing there isn't a "dislike" button here, because I'll likely be crucified by a few people here. After all, there are people out there who send bullion coins like BU ASE's off to be graded. In the end, they're your coins. Seeing as they're bullion coins, do whatever you want with them. Clean 'em, polish 'em, ping them, stack 'em, carry 'em in your pocket, put 'em in a chest and dig your hands into them and go "Muhahahaha!", melt 'em, etc. At the end of the day, they'll likely be worth the same as they're worth now: $26.90 per ounce. With the ASE's, you might lose the buck or two premium they fetch, but they're your coins...
Just an FYI When I signed up to the ANA club I read the club rules. I believe one of the rules stated that it is your resonsibility to protect & preserve your coins for future generations. They are your property & you can do what you want but you are not supposed to damage them.
No, no, no. Just no. The fine details that give a coin its definition are in the upper layers. If you strip those layers off with chemicals or electrolysis, you are doing terrible damage to the coin (and its value). There are some times where cleaning a coin is justified (such as coins that coins that have sediment built up on them from being buried underground or recovered from shipwrecks). There are a few others - for example, I'm on the fence about using acid etching to identify worn date Buffalo nickles. But, making a coin 'shiny' is a terrible idea, IMO. You can get the same effect by tossing it into a rock tumbler. Numismatists go through fashions just like anyone else. Toners are "in" right now, blast white coins were "in" for most of last century. But coins with the finest features obliterated have never (and likely will never) carry much of a premium over their melt value. And, all of the techniques you mentioned do lighten coins in a measurable way.
