To Clean or Not to Clean

Hi everyone. With the toning post, and cleaning posts, I was wondering if I could start a post where everyone gave their opinion on when to clean coins(if ever), whether toning destroys a coin, or if cleaning does, and so on and so forth. You see, I've always thought cleaning was terrible. To the people that have collected since before my parents were born(late 70's): Can you enlighten me?

 

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If, by "cleaning" you mean dipping, then, yes, dipping a coin can go wrong and lower its value. You can be left with a literally lack-luster coin that can go on to retone even uglier than before.

On the other hand, truly ugly toning also lowers the eye appeal of a coin and can easily lower the value. It can lower the grade, as well, if it's really ugly.

As a collector, IMO, the best thing you can do for your collection is to select coins that look nice to begin with.

 

So in your opinion are rainbow toned coins dangerous to deal with? Even though many think they look good and many gain premiums?

 

That is the question..... (j/k)

You are right, any form of cleaning to where you take a form of brush or a wipe or whatever is terrible for any coin. You can get by, by dipping them in acetone if some form of "gunk" is on a coin but you must know what your doing.

 

If properly stored, toning can remain stable on coins for decades.

 

By properly stored are we talking just stabbed by one of the big three?

 

Rainbow toning is difficult for me. A lot of collectors will pay a premium for this, but some unscrupulous dealers / sellers have been known to artificially create rainbow toning. I think they heat the coin in their oven or something like that. Many of them are easy to spot, but sometimes not.

 

Hi

 

I believe that if you want to slow toning you want to keep it in a low sulfur environment because hydrogen sulfide gas is a reactant in the toning process.

 

Whoa. Didn't mean to say hi. Brain fart

 

Your parents were born way back when in the late 70's? Ah, yes... the olden days. My feet would get so sore after using them to propel my two stone cylinder-wheeled car to and from the gravel pit every day.

Seriously though..... the question shouldn't be when to clean a coin, but if one actually knows how to properly clean it when and/or IF needed or potentially helpful. The latter is much more important than the former.

 

My opinion: cleaning is fine so long as it does not damage the coin. A damaged coin is worth less than an undamaged one. Toning can destroy destroy a coin or reduce it's value but I like it. I like the pretty colors. Toning left alone will eventually eat away the coin. I've only been in the hobby for a few years and the bulk of my collection aren't even coins so keep that in mind.

 

@Trust

You should never clean a coin more often than your bedroom!

Chris

 

I like to use steel wool and some turpentine but if really bad a wire brush is nice
If you don't know what your doing DO NOT CLEAN your coins

 

No. Slabs provide reasonable protection by themselves, but toning can still occur inside them. What I mean is you should store coins in an environment that's protected from airborne contaminants (sulfur is the primary enemy here). You should also try to provide a low-humidity, climate-controlled environment (the guideline here is that if it's comfortable for humans and there aren't wide swings in environmental conditions, it will be fine for coins).

Roughly speaking, copper will be most sensitive to storage conditions, followed by silver coins in decreasing order of silver content (silver bullion coins being most sensitive down to 90%, 40%, and lower silver content for world coins), followed by gold, all the way down to platinum (the least reactive metal).

You can never totally stop toning without going to extreme expense like constructing a hermetically sealed display case filled with dry nitrogen or something. And, storage is going to be more important in a high-humidity/high temperature environment like, say, Florida, than a low-humidity/moderate temperature environment like, say, most of southern California.

Heh... you forgot to put a smiley to indicate sarcasm after your first sentence.

 

Well crap. I live in MS. So there goes not having the humidity...

 

That's what silica gel desiccant is for. There are tons of threads on proper storage. Do a search and you'll probably find a few.

 

Alright thanks

 

There's also the fact that sometimes not all the toning on a coin will be able to be removed when dipping it safely. This can lead to the coin looking worse than when you started also. So one has to have an idea of what types of toning can be removed via safe dipping versus stripping both the toning and luster off a coin.

 

Here is what Charles F French(former president , Empire State Numismatic Association) has to say about cleaning. This synopsis is from memory and is from the 1998 edition of "American Guide to U.S. Coins". Do not clean large copper cents and half cents. Do clean small copper cents unless they have desirable toning. It seems collectors of small cents love brilliant coins and those of large cents dark toning. Clean silver using Silver Dip but dip for only 5 seconds and immediately rinse. Gold does not normally need cleaning. Cleaners mentioned are Silver Dip, Care(does not change color on copper coins) and Brilliantize(removes spots and gives a brilliant color to copper coins).--- Warning the major grading services will not numerically grade if any indication of cleaning.--- I might mention that many coin sites say "NEVER CLEAN".