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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;beef1020, post: 3119514, member: 24544&quot;]You heard correctly, and the general advice we give newer members is to not mess around with them.&nbsp; I would encourage you to leave this coin alone for now and continue to enjoy your heirlooms while you begin to explore the hobby.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>In regards to &#039;cleaning&#039; coins the goal should be to preserve the surface condition while possibly removing any debris.&nbsp; You don&#039;t want to stripe the toning off the coin, which would mean removal of a portion of the actual metal, but dirt and debris can be removed.&nbsp; This is generally referred to as conserving instead of cleaning.&nbsp; The problem with doing this conservation are basically two fold in my mind.&nbsp; If done incorrectly by someone inexperienced, they can do a lot of damage to the coin.&nbsp; Second, even if done properly, what is considered appropriate conservation techniques today may not be considered appropriate in the future.&nbsp; This is readily apparent when looking at the majority of 19th century coinage, almost all of it has been harshly cleaned in ways that very well may have been considered acceptable then, but reduce the value to the current generation of collectors.&nbsp; My personal preference is to leave the coin as is unless the surface debris is reacting with the medal and causing further damage, but IMHO this area of numismatics is not an area I believe beginners should be messing around in.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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