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 Replies: 9 / Views: 940 |
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Valued Member
United States
243 Posts |
I keep hearing don't clean your coins but anyone that goes through rolls of pennies knows how crudy some can be.When you find a coin you need and its got goop on it ,what do you do?
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Valued Member
United States
231 Posts |
Whatever you want to. If it doesn't bother you that it is cleaned and you are keeping it for your personal collection, then clean away. Besides, when they get that bad, they aren't usually worth anything in the shape they are in anyway, unless you have a key date.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1179 Posts |
Im amazed what I find on coins from rolls. Some are just plain nasty and oily. Like philney says, really are not worth the trouble cleaning
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Pillar of the Community
United States
549 Posts |
There are also a lot of coins out there which are VF or better, but have some dirt or grime on them.
I've only been collecting since mid-December and I've been comtemplating the cleaning issue a lot. Some people will tell you it's ok to use distilled water, acetone, olive oil, or mineral oil without damaging the coin. Serious collectors will tell you to never clean a coin with anything for any reason.
I think I've come to my personal decision on what to do with my collection. Since I have no intention of selling my coins, I'm going to use acetone on them in order to remove the grime and restore some of the true colors and toning. I do not have any expensive key date coins right now. I probably wouldn't use the acetone on them if I did. If I ever end up with any coins of real value, I'll leave them in their current state or give them to a professional to restore.
If you decide to use acetone, be sure it's GOOD pure acetone and not nail polish remover.
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Valued Member
 United States
243 Posts |
Mahgobbi,Yes I'm not talking about an old coin thats worn,beat up or corroded.I'm talking about a coin in fine,ex fine condition thats rare and you been searching for.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
533 Posts |
I have cleaned/rubbed spots off of VF+ coins that are not worth too much. As a general rule I don't fool with anything $20.00 or more. That way, if I do ruin it, not a whole lot is lost. The cleaning issue is a tough one. The only thing I really look out for are those coins that just don't look right. If a coin has the correct "look" when I'm through with it, I consider it a success.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1984 Posts |
Whatever you decide to do, do it on a coin worth face value first.
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Valued Member
United States
243 Posts |
All I do is rub the coin with a soft cloth,no chemicals or abrasives.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
As already noted if it's just for you, do with it as you want. Many, many coins are being cleaned everyday by dealers to make them look pretty. Many collectors also clean coins to make the look better. If they are just yours and you have no ittent of ever selling them, clean away.
However, remember that the majority of collectors do not like cleaned coins. This means if you ever plan on selling yours or leaving them to someone that may want to sell them, the value will be extreamely less.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
914 Posts |
Xylene for Cents! Works wonders on cruddy lincolns and searching for RPMs.
Just search for 'Xylene', I've posted about it about 10 times already.
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Replies: 9 / Views: 940 |
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Posted 01/22/2008 11:39 pm
