basically just wondering if any cleaning agents are harmful to coins or just the way they are is the way they are ?
Im my limited expirence I would say leave them as they are, unless you are removing loose and even then you risk damage. You can loose more than half a coins value and if it it was to ever be graded would most likely only recieve a details grade.
cleaning a coin will make the value go down. if your not worried about that, go ahead, just dont use adheasevs.
Big opportunity to ruin your coins by improper cleaning Please delay any type of cleaning until you have had an opportunity to learn more about cleaning coins here at CT. Please stop and wait for some knowledgeable folks to reply to your question. You can never un-clean a coin & there is a big opportunity for you to ruin your coins by improper cleaning. BTW, most collectors like their old coins to look old. Many novice collectors have been known to ruin coins by cleaning. Further, I can guaranty you that any copper coin a novice attempts to clean will be ruined. Please post a photo of the coin(s) that you think might need cleaning.
You can do an advanced search at CoinTalk (upper right of this screen) and search for the word "cleaning". You will find several pages of threads where coin cleaning has been discussed. After you read a dozen of these threads you can thank me.
This comes up all the time in various threads. DO NOT clean coins--it destroys their value. Coins are best left original.
Only if you have a good rock tumbler. :thumb: If you search here and on other forums, you will find many threads on this subject. You'll also learn that there are a number of different opinions on the matter. There are some people who are downright religious about it. They will not even clean the most common of coins found in a parking lot, and they will crucify you if you choose to do so. The way I figure it, you've been advised on how cleaning can affect the value of a coin that has numismatic value and they're your coins. What you choose to do with your coins now is up to you.
I actually cleaned a 1957 wheat cent with gunk on the obverse side with plain hot water and rubbed it with a cotton swab. It removed a bit of it but left a shade of it on the face of Lincoln. I then tried to clean a 1964 with gunk on it with the Olive Oil method I read about by letting it soak 1/2 hour, took it out and ran it under hot water and notta much came off. I realized that the aging and some dirting of the coin gives it character.
Sometimes what is exposed under the dirt (toning, pitting, discoloration, etc) is better left unseen. :yes:
I'd say "no" on the cleaning because you don't want to cause any hairline scratches. In many of the "what is it worth" threads, you will see people post previously cleaned coins, probably good to take a look at those examples especially when the cleaning is pointed out. There was a thread that was very long on the subject, it wasn't popping up when I did a quick search.
Here is a CT thread describing cleaning of copper. This thread was posted only a couple days ago. http://www.cointalk.com/t223316/ IMO, amateur cleaning of copper coins never ends well.
