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Replies: 12 / Views: 1,713 |
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Valued Member
United States
331 Posts |
Having never cleaned one of my coins, out of fear and knowledge that it can "ruin" a coins value ... please share with me your opinions and practices.
Do you clean coins regularly ? How do you clean your coins ? Recommendations on methodology ?
Thanks in advance ...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4660 Posts |
It all depends on what you have, and what you are trying to accomplish. Very few rules of thumb, and you can ruin a coin if you don't know what you are doing.
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
All I can say is practice on coins with no added value,and when possible stick to the rule (never clean coins). A member once posted a list of severity of cleaning from mild to wild,maybe a member can post a link to it. John1 
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Moderator
 United States
33110 Posts |
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push." -----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed." -----King Adz
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
That's the one,thanks Spence. John1 
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21645 Posts |
Out of a collection of about 2,500 coins in my collection I have only cleaned two of them. Perhaps a dozen or so other machine struck coins have been cleaned, before I bought them.
Having said that, almost all ancient coins recovered from ground burial have been cleaned at some time in the past, usually by professionals, before they have found their way into the collector market, or into museums.
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Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
In a nut shell ; Do not clean any coin unless you know what your doing . You might turn a $1,000 coin into a $100 coin in a matter of seconds . 
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
Just a note: cleaning a coin and conserving a coin is two different things. John1 
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
24883 Posts |
Quote:Just a note: cleaning a coin and conserving a coin is two different things. John1 .  
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Valued Member
 United States
331 Posts |
Thanks folks ... enjoyed the article and got an idea of how to go about my own testing / experimenting / learning
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Valued Member
 United States
331 Posts |
Update ... I'm still not cleaning coins but have found, through PCGS, that I had purchased many cleaned coins :) Yikes !
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Moderator
 United States
163970 Posts |
Quote: Update ... I'm still not cleaning coins...  Quote: ...but have found, through PCGS, that I had purchased many cleaned coins :) Yikes ! 
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Valued Member
 United States
331 Posts |
My experience is that MANY coins have already been cleaned.
When submitting for grading, a cleaned coin gets "details" designation ... worth less money.
I will never clean my coins !
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Replies: 12 / Views: 1,713 |
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