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 Replies: 10 / Views: 5,064 |
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Valued Member
United States
232 Posts |
Hi, I was just wondering what are some red flags you look for determining weather a coin has been cleaned or not? And what are some methods used out there? I clean my junk silver (melt value coins) with a solution of baking soda and water and rub between my fingers.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2596 Posts |
if you have a toning you want to take out put it on a piece of aluminum foil, in a baking soda water solution and this will remove the toning after a few minutes. I've tried this on some ugly colored silver ancients and it works good.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2596 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
You only need to look at the coin you posted- that is an easily detectable cleaned coin. 50+ year old circulated coins should have a patina instead of being stark white and shiny. Baking soda is an abrasive so that coin is certainly covered with hairlines as well, another big indicator of a cleaning.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5854 Posts |
To be able to detect cleaning, you have to know how coins should look like given their condition. As biokemist6 had already mentioned, circulated coins should have acquired a patina. Generally they have a much dirtier appearance and should not have bright shiny surfaces. When it comes to higher grade coins like AU and above a lot of it depends on being able to determine if a coin has the correct luster. Hairlines can be another sign of cleaning but should not be confused with hairlines that result from circulation.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
968 Posts |
Jessvc1's recommendation is ok for junk coins, and is definitely better than rubbing the coin with baking soda. However, it too will damage the coin through the chemical reaction that is going on which removes the patina. It can leave tiny pits in the coin.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1699 Posts |
If you don't mind my asking, why do you clean low value silver?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2044 Posts |
A good way to tell is use a lot of different methods to clean coins and see what kind of effect occurs. I've done that with a number of coins from copper, nickel to silver, etc. Using soapy water, peroxide, acetone, olive oil, etc. Once you see what happens, you'll know another coin that's been cleaned.
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Valued Member
 United States
232 Posts |
If the coin has nice toning or nice looking wear I dont touch them (even the junk silver). I clean the rest just for somthing to do to be honost,I have a fairly busy life style and its the only time I get to sit down and relaxe. Plus I love going through my collection : )
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
I clean my junk silver (melt value coins) with a solution of baking soda and water and rub between my fingers.
Utterly rediculous. As already asked, why clean a coin that is just junk? Will not make it worth more, will not make it look like anything but a cleaned coin. Baking soda is abrasive as already noted and if you use tap water you may as well use Battery Acid. Actually you could get the same results with a wire wheel mounted on a bench grinder. For coin cleaning just use the Search tab for cleaning coins, coin cleaning, etc. Eventually you would note that it is not a good idea to clean coins. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2044 Posts |
Sometimes I think it is necessary to clean coins if you have one that you can't identify or you found a bunch that you found while metal detecting. In that case you at least have to get a decent amount of the surface dirt off of the coin. I wouldn't put such a coin in an album or in my collection without partially being cleaned. Cleaning them very gently with distilled water and nothing abrasive and certainly not baking soda.
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Replies: 10 / Views: 5,064 |
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Posted 11/01/2011 4:42 pm
