Cleaning Coins

Would using a pencil eraser on a coin damage the value?

 

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Yes. Any cleaning will. A pencil eraser would be way too harsh and wld leave a residue

 

Coins of any value more than face should never be cleaned.

 

Steel wool & Comet works well

 

Any cleaning is bad

 

This is one of the biggest myths in coin collecting... Coin cleaning done right can restore a coins eye appeal and prevent further damage but the sad part is instead of making these methods public for the benefit of the hobby people keep them a secret. The only public methods other then dips is to soak the coins in Acetone and then distilled water.

 

Well... think what you want. I cleaned all my coins back in the 50's and I still do. I scrub 'em hard with baking soda and a toothbrush. Then post the pics in order to hear all the purist rant and rave about how I shouldn't clean my coins. Of course, if you're worried about how much your coins are worth, or if you ever want to sell them... then DON'T clean them!

 

You asked your question in a forum frequented by people who value a perfect 2010 nickel higher than a VF 1794 large cent found by a metal detectorist and washed off with a toothbrush. If you asked your question in a metal detector/treasure hunter forum, the answer would be different but they still would tell you to stay away from the eraser unless the coin was really caked with dirt.

Any and everything you do to a coin will lessen or destroy its value to purists who would not even add to their collection 99% of the coins made at the mint because they suffered bagmarks or other difficulties making them less than perfect. The truth about cleaning is that anyone asking that question undoubtedly knows little enough about the subject that they will lower the value of every coin they touch. For that matter, spending a coin lowers the value of a coin making an MS-65 into AU in almost no time flat. I suggest you not clean coins until you determine that they are already ruined to the mainstream collectors and you need to do something to make them more pleasing to you. If you only care about the value of the coin, leave that dirt caked over the date and let someone else find out what date it is.

 

Every type of cleaning can if you don't do it right pencil eraser is a horrible idea to do and it makes value go down and can damage the coin

 

Not true, those same purists buy cleaned coins all the time. I think its hypocritical for people to say that all cleaning is bad while having blast white Morgans in their collection...

 

I thought NGC had proprietary methods of coin conservation. Maybe I'm wrong or misinformed.

 

I think you mean NCS. Conservation, not cleaning.

 

Conservation is cleaning.....

 

Then how does NCS do what they do?
I'd really like to know.

 

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i mix bleach and amonia and dip my coins in with no gloves or mask.. thats why im so healthy

 

:thumb:

 

Sorry for offending the king. NCS offers cleaning in a way that it isn't categorized under "harsh" cleaning.

However, it is scary that on their website they mention "filling holes" and "re-engraving details" under what they do.

 

Are you sure of that? Don't sound right.

 

I've heard of metal detector guys getting their coins wet and freezing them then thawing and freezing over and over again, the idea being as the water freezes it expands loosening up the grit and surface junk,then thaw and rinse and it should wash away. not going to get a shiny coin if thats what your after but it would remove some residue if you were to keep after it i think. don't know for sure never tried it myself.