Cleaning Coins with Pencil Eraser!

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We'd have to know more about condition to give a good estimate. Post pics or look at what similar coins are selling for on eBay. If your cents are worn and damaged they won't be worth more than a dollar or two at most.

 

A coin "worth a few dollars" should sell for a few dollars, right? If it doesn't under ideal circumstances it's probably safe to say it isn't worth that much.

That said, if asking how much the mentioned coins are impacted by the stated damage, much would depend upon the severity of it. Unfortunately, they're probably worth less than you hope simply because when damaged there really isn't a market for such coins, especially if circulated.

 

If it's scratched up it's not worth a few dollars.
Revived thread of the year.

 

Where can I buy those "White Pearl" erasers ?

 

I feel like I'm reading Mad Magazine!!! This is the most insane thread I have ever read on CT. My desk is now cracked from me banging my head on it. WOW!!

 

@serafino,
I think I got them at Staples

 

Gee this is a fun thread

 

It has been almost 2 years since I first joined CT... I thought I’d revisit this page for the nostalgia of it... thank you for everything guys!

 

The coin I'm using as my avatar was cleaned with an eraser (by my uncle) back in the 70's, to make it shine so he could sell it for more than a dollar. Its hard to see in my (really crappy) picture, but it is covered with micro scratches (re: surface altering) That's why it is my pocket piece/key fob.
Moral of the story; DON'T USE AN ERASER ON YOUR COINS!!

(Edit, I didn't realize this thread was so old!! But... )

 

Some erasers have fine grit mixed into the material. Rubbing the coin with an eraser still applies and exposes the coin's surface to friction (wear & tear), not good. I remember when we were in grade school, using a pencil eraser to shine up dull copper pennies was like a magic trick. I remember getting a 1919 penny in my pop change once when I was in 5th grade. I shinned it up using a pencil eraser. Looked nice and shiny new. Worn out but shiny new.

 

I too was quite guilty of polishing cents with my eraser as a youngster.

 

I love this! I resurrected my first ever thread post!

 

Don't develop bad habits

 

This forum came up in a google search, and I read this thread with interest. I am more of a stacker than a coin collector, so my view may be a little different. I inherited several silver bullion coins from my father: some 1 oz. Engelhard 1984 "American Prospector" coins, and some nice numismatic silver coins. The bullion coins were stored in plastic flips for a few decades and had some fairly small but very ugly black tarnish marks on them, and around some edges. They have no real numismatic value, but appearance is a concern. I took a small, clean pencil eraser and very gently wiped off the black stains very easily, without a lot of rubbing. The tarnish seemed to transfer and adhere to the eraser, rather than causing abrasion. The original sheen of the finish does not seem to be affected. They do look 100% better, and the slight toning they had acquired in places is still intact.

I wouldn't try that on the 1880 Morgan dollar or the 1925 Liberty "Peace" dollar he left me, though. They are hand-written as AU 50 on the paper part of the cheapo slabs, and they look it. The 1899 Barber is in pretty bad shape, but it will not be touched either. The 1942 Walking Liberty is in poor shape and lots of black, don't know about that one, and the late 1950s through 1964 circulated Constitutional silver coins might get the aluminum foil-baking-soda-and-water treatment. After I make sure there's nothing special in there. "Silver is silver," they say, but I am starting to take more of a keen interest in numismatic collecting as well!

 

Welcome to CoinTalk! Sometimes you might be able to get away with eraser cleaning, but it's the exception, not the rule. It's good that you're trying it first on coins that don't have numismatic value, although I think some name-brand bullion does have a collectors' premium...?

 

Story time, but on topic!
My elderly mother of 92 passed away last May, well she had a bit of a penny hoard of around $30.00 mostly Wheat Cents.
Well for something to do she would set and clean and roll pennies. She thought it made them look pretty, and to her clean was better.
So, she would collect them, sort them into small containers by the decade, 30's 40's 50's 60's ect....... and once she had enough to clean and roll that's what she'd do, then she would write what decade they were on the side of the roll.
When she passed away I was awarded the job of going through her pennies to which I didn't find a single keeper for my collection, and in her will her Estate was to be split 3-Ways with her 3 son's. Bla.bla...........
So, as I went through the coins it was obvious which ones mom went after with a pencil eraser LOL! and yes! a pencil eraser will leave abrasive lines on copper cents, I would say they would have been graded as Harshly Cleaned at best (ruined).
To finish the story,
I went through all her pennies and I was allowed to keep or do whatever I wanted with them (agreement made with both my brothers). I sorted them as Mom had done by the decade, I rolled them very nicely, I carefully folded the ends of the tubes and I glued them and clamped them FLAT! I marked the rolls 1930's 1940's 1950's 60's ect... and I took them to the bank and cashed them in. The proceeds was split between us 3 son's. These rolls are out there in circulation and if you roll hunters find them they'll be easily identified to where they came from with the glued flaps and marked rolls, they came from "Betty's Hoard"
There is no KEY dates!
They've been searched!
Lots of them have been "Harshly Cleaned" LoL!
Now I didn't spend any time looking for error cents, like RPM's or die cracks.

 

Note to new collectors

Abrasive and harsh chemical cleaning are easily noticed on coins. This type have cleaning will ALWAYS reduce the numismatic value of your coin. In many cases, the value will be reduced to bullion, or face value.

You may think it looks nicer, but it's basically the equivalent of washing your car with sandpaper.

 

Very well put, Hoop.

 

If your gonna use an eraser to clean a coin, make it an authentic frito bandito eraser!!!