OK guys, I can't believe there is nothing in the FAQ about "should I clean my coins or not?". I realize that most collectors prefer uncleaned coins and that cleaning a coin GREATLY reduces it's value. However if I don't plan to resell my coins and just want eye appeal for my own satisfaction what does everyone recommend? I know there are "approved" ways to clean a coin, such as using plain water and dabbing at the coin instead of wiping it to remove surface grime. I also understand that toning is desireable. But if I get a coin with black spots on it and want to clean it so it looks better I have found a few different coin cleaning solutions and wonder what is the best? I've seen e-Z-est, MS70, Conserv Safe Coin Cleaner, Lindner Best Coin Cleaning Solution, Nic-A-Lene, Speedip, among several others. So if you don't care about reducing the coins value and just want it to look its best for YOUR satisfaction, what would you use? /Flame Suit On/
Cleaning your coins isn't a horrible thing. Cleaning your coins incorrectly will destroy their value. Have you tried an acetone bath?
No Pat, I have never tried cleaning any of my coins. I'm just gathering info at this point. Have you tried any of the cleaners I listed? What is the proper way to clean a coin without damaging it? Which are the preferred chemicals to use? I want to restore the brilliant luster to my Mercury Dimes and Walking Halfs.
Are these circulated or uncirculated coins? If they are circulated, there is nothing you can do to restore the original mint luster.
In over 45 years of collecting, I have found that cleaning coins is usually a bad idea. Removing PVC or other organics with acetone is fine, since it protects the coin by removing the acidic residue and doesn't affect the surface of the coin. I would not try to remove toning, unless you like the unnatural, shiny finish. Dips actually remove metal from the surface along with the toning. And using something like baking soda or polishing compound is equivalent to washing your car with fine grit sandpaper. In rare instances, it can help, such as metal detector finds or coins that have been buried for a long time (I used to buy uncleaned ancients and soak them until I could see enough to ID). As Alurid mentioned, someday someone is going to try to sell them and will be very disappointed when they are told that a valuable coin is only worth a fraction due to cleaning. Just my opinion.
Umm, nobody? I don't plan to sell them once they are in my collection. And it's not like I'm going to take a coin that's worth $1000 and ruin it. I'm talking about Mercury dimes that may have a few black spots on them. I was thinking they could be removed and the luster somewhat restored? If I lower the value of a coin I paid less than $10 for then so what? Here's a picture of a coin I just bought on eBay that I was thinking of cleaning. I haven't received the coin yet, these are the pics that the seller posted. It looks a little "dingy". I was hoping to make it look more BU. Can't the black spots be removed with some sort of cleaning solution such as MS70? Thanks for your expertise!
It all boils down to whether or not you care that others will succeed you as owners of these coins. If you do not care, you should find another hobby. That doesn't mean that coins cannot be conserved so that they're improved for future generations, just that this should be the primary consideration rather than your own opinion. You're caring for history here.
The black spot is going to be difficult to remove. And I think it will be nearly impossible to do it and not severely compromise the look of the coin. The black spot probably isn't simple toning. When a coin tones, the metal at the surface reacts with the environment to form sulfides, oxides and other complex stuff that most of us slept through when discussed in chemistry class. Cleaning a coin with a mild abrasive physically removes this layer. Dipping does the same thing through a chemical interaction. Bottom line is that in either of these processes, you are removing metal. IMO, black spots are the worst. They can come from a variety of sources. The trick to removing them is to understand the makeup of the spot and use the correct chemistry to remove it. I have no actual knowledge, but I strongly suspect that professional conservators physically remove the most of spot with a steady hand under a microscope. They probably also have some chemicals that can start to soften/degrade the spot to make it easier. If I were to try to remove the spot, I would say there is a very high probability that I would leave the coin looking worse than when I started. It's yours so you can do whatever you want but I don't think it too bad, and would leave it as is.
MS70 shouldn't do anything that harms it, may not be strong enough to actually get the spots off but MS70 generally works best on silver, for the old formula anyway. Haven't used it in a while and some have claimed it isn't as good anymore
Thanks guys for your opinions and expertise! I'm gonna think on it a while and wait until I get the coin in hand before I decide whether or not to try to "improve" the coin.
