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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GDJMSP, post: 886543, member: 112&quot;]That is quite true, if it is done wrong. But - if it is done correctly, it often increases the value.</p><p><br /></p><p>People always seem to use the word &quot;clean&quot;, or any of its forms, incorrectly. It is extremely important to realize that there is cleaning and there is harsh/improper cleaning. And if you do not distinguish between the two, not only are you misleading those who don&#039;t understand this, but you are also indicating that you possibly don&#039;t understand it either.</p><p><br /></p><p>When it comes right down to it dipping a coin is cleaning. But dipping coins is an acceptable practice in the numismatic community that if done correctly does not harm the coin in any way. And most experts estimate that fully 80% or more of all older coins, particularly silver, have been dipped at one time or another in their lives.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now this does not mean that I personally advocate dipping coins, I don&#039;t, unless the dipping is done to prevent possible damage. But it does mean that it is an extremely widespread practice in the numismatic community that continues on a daily basis.</p><p><br /></p><p>Then you have companies like NCS that you can pay to conserve (just another word for cleaning) your coins. And their work quite often increases the value of the coins. So does dipping at times for that matter.</p><p><br /></p><p>Rinsing coins in acetone, or some other solvent, is also cleaning. But that too has its benefits and can help increase a coin&#039;s value, or prevent damage to the coin that would decrease value. </p><p><br /></p><p>Same can be said for using proprietary products to remove verdigris from coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>All of these things are &quot;cleaning&quot;, but they are not harmful to the coins and they do not decrease the value of the coins. COnversely, they quite often increase the value of the coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>But as has been stated, they must be done by someone who knows what they are doing and they must be done correctly.</p><p><br /></p><p>It is harsh, or improper cleaning that is harmful to coins. And there more ways to do it than you can count. Even the methods I mentioned above can be harsh/improper cleaning if done incorrectly. All of these, without exception, will cause a coin to lose value.</p><p><br /></p><p>So as I said in the beginning, it is extremely important to differentiate between &quot;cleaning&quot; and &quot;harsh/improper&quot; cleaning.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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