Do You Clean Your Coins ?

there is a good reason for that- cleaning your coins will permanently damage them, thus lowering the value

i have never cleaned a coin and never will in fact in some cases I prefer a coin with a little dirt

I think a high speed grinder with a very coarse wire wheel works best for cleaning coins. Don't clean or polish your coins! If you do feel the need to do so, just use an acetone bath or a short soak in distilled water. No rubbing or scrubbing with a towel or anything like that. Maybe just a gentle rub with your thumb and for finger. Pat dry with a soft absorbent cloth. If it is heavily encrusted ancient coins you have, then you can find detailed instructions on the web on how to do that. And be prepared to wait, wait , and wait. for that takes several months to over a year sometimes.

Hi !

I don't want to clean anything for the moment, it's just a simple question. It's sure that if I find a very dirty pieces it's possible that I want to clean them but not more.

You do not use the "real" product sell in store to clean ?

Thanks again !

There are methods that will "conserve" a coin, conservation only removes surface contamination and will not disturb the metal surface. Abrasive cleaning or rubbing will create fine scratches on the surface even if contact is light- that is why cleaning is damaging.

You can use various solvents such as acetone or xylene- this method will remove organic material such as finger grease or some glues. Of course, care must be taken when working with flammable liquids. A soak in water can be used for most coins(it should be limited for copper, bronze, or steel coins) and it can be taken a step further for encrusted coins- freeze an encrusted coin in an ice cube and then break the ice, the expansion action of water freezing can lift crust off the surface. You can also soak in mineral oil, this method can help with corrosion. Some will also use olive oil due to the slight acidity that can aid with corrosion removal but it has the potential to alter the patina of copper coins and can go rancid since it is an organic oil.

These methods have a very minimal chance of damaging a coin and can be quite effective if done properly but none of them will remove heavy toning on a coin. However, if you do not know what you are doing, it is best to just leave the coin alone if it has decent value.

Cleaning alters the coins surface and destoys the coin's numismatic value. Never clean your coins unless it's a very extreme case. ~ Jim