How to clean

Hi gents I just rec today a pound of foreign coins from a dealer. I was wondering what the best way to clean the human germs and gunk off them for me and my grandson to enjoy without hurting them? I did find a few nice ones.

 

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Germs and gunk you say...well Windex and Fantastic do well, JK I've never cleaned a coin so I am just trolling but good luck not hurting them if you plan on any type of cleaning (it may be best to skip the whole cleaning thing altogether)

 

Any coins sold by the pound or even the ton are generally worth less than the purchase price when re-sold for collector value. Maybe once in a while a coin is found that is worth it, but most are circulated and silver is seldom. Although I would not recommend cleaning valued coins unless a person is experienced and can make choices, I see no reason not to do so for your coins. Just remember to say 'we don't do this to coins that may be worth selling' or similar. I would use a flow of warm water and some dish detergent ( not worried about minor color change) and even a worn tooth brush. The purpose is to expose to the details of the coins and not their dirt. The memories and perhaps the interest of your grandson will be worth it all. Perhaps divide the quantity up into a couple of sessions so it is not too concentrated. Have fun!

 

Maybe boil them in distilled water, should kill the germs.

 

I got news for you, there are germs virtually everywhere. If your goal is to avoid germs you will have a difficult time being anywhere or handling anything.

 

Don't ever clean your coins.

That said, if you bought a pound of junk coins to get your grandson interested in coins, give them a bath in acetone... not nail polish remover, get the pure stuff from the hardware store. Make sure you use it in a well ventilated area. I'm not sure how it works as a germ killer, but it's great for getting rid of organic gunk like tape residue, PVC gunk, etc.

Oh, and don't ever clean your coins.

 

This right here! I usually buy wheats and such by the pound, and if I get some of the nastier ones that are dirty or grimey, I just soak them in some Dawn and warm water, then pat them dry. I never scrub them or try to rub the dirt or grim off. Also remember that if you ever do sell them for any reason, that you need to inform the buyer of how and why they were cleaned...unethical to not to, don't know about the legalities.

 

I was wondering about soaking them in 90% alcohol, I am not saying good as in collectors but maybe a few silvers in the bunch, I have already found a few very nice old coins in there and a lot of Canadian, and a few not foreign coins but us medallions or tokens. I am more worried about bad germs than regular germs if you know what I am saying the boy is young and still likes to put his hands in his mouth and fingers and such, I guess thats what makes them healthy LOL He is almost 5 so its not like he will put a coin in his mouth we have already talked about that one. i just would like to sanitize or sterilize a little before we handle them and he licks a snack off his hand or fingers Ha Ha. I was thinking alcohol or hot soapy water? Do you see what I am saying plus he knows how to touch coins and he will not know I cleaned them. This may sound stupid but he has a purell hand sanitize on his school backpack and he knows when to use it. We have had a real bad strain of flue here and alot of folks that have had flue shots getting sick. So we are a bit carfull, But he also knows not to over use it too and get it where its not working.

 

Some hot soapy water that is antibacterial should suffice. Just don't scrub them down or anything like that, let them soak for a bit, then pat them dry.

 

There are so many posts about the future of numismatics, and how to interest kids in coins, and here is a disconnect. Kids like to touch and handle coins, and great teaching can begin a lifelong association. I have been in stores where there are 55 gal drums filled with foreign coins by the pound or kilo. I wouldn't use acetone on more than a couple of coins at a time, and the accumulated grime isn't going to come off without some action. Consider these coins sacrifices for the future collectors. And the grandson will get greater value handling and looking at the coin devices, then if he inherited them someday( uncleaned) and found them of no value. He will remember the joy he and grandpa had in handling them, and will treasure them far more for the memories than any uncleaned value. IMO.

 

Just handle them raw and wriggling, just as they are now, and wash your hands really well afterwords.

 

There are probably more germs on any of the door knobs in your house than on those coins.

 

That's what happens when you start a coin cleaning thread. You will be accused of having a filthy home.

 

Now, now.

 

I wouldn't clean them but love your post. Of course kids love to handle coins, don't we all? I bet you that your grandkids are getting those coins dirtier than the other way around, lol.

The REAL value here is the knowledge your grandkids can learn. World coins can teach them history, geography, and many other things. Maybe your grandchild 10 years from now will pass a test because they knew of the East India Company or Burkina Faso through their time with grandpa and coins.

Don't worry about trying to create a coin collector, appreciate all of the stuff you know they are learning from the experience, and maybe they will become collectors as adults.

 

You do not know my wife!!! Ha Ha She is a store Manager and works with the nasty public every day people sneeze in there hands and try to hand her money or stink like they just cleaned a septic and try handing her something so she uses hand washing as a ritual. Plus she will go around in the morning or night using Lysol on all the door knobs, Phones, Water Knobs, you name it. She even pulled every carpet in the house and replaced with linoleum so she could see whats there and mop it because of her and I having allergies, The running joke where she has worked is she is Mrs Clean, And never stops when anyone calls and asks where she is they pretty much know she is cleaning something. I used to think it was bull but I have grown accustomed to this life now and have a hard time going to a place that does not look brand new. Now I know brand new does not mean clean and I know cluttered does not mean dirty. You can kind of tell dirty LOL

Also when I was young I got sick a few times or more a year probably from salmonella and stomach bugs and such, But no body ever gets sick like that here unless you have been to the mall or something We have been carefull about food and stuff like that and it really works. Obsession !!! MAYBE !!

 

I even bought this today for .26 cents
modern world coins book

 

If you have handled them to look at or separate, as some of the comments imply, I think anything really toxic has come in contact with you already. Maybe you are overly concerned about this issue. In the process of cleaning the coin it will become as germ free as normally possible. Did you perhaps wear thin rubber gloves when you went through them?

 

Well the good news if there are any silver coins, they (and the coins touching them) are reasonably germ free since silver is antimicrobial. Of course whatever that's on them that's NOT a "germ" might be another cause for concern!

 

Wear gloves and don't clean them.