What is the best way to clean old coins?

Answer 1

DON'T. Do not try to clean coins as this will reduce the coins value instead of increase it. You can try using a moistened 100% cotton towel and take away what you can. After that leave the coin the way it is. Don't ever use erasers, tissues, tooth picks etc... to clean coins.

Answer 2

Yes, Vinegar can clean coins. If it is a collectible coin, do not clean it. It is most likely to damage it. ( Ketchup can help too. ) To clean a coin with vinegar, put only a drop or 2. If you put more, your coin will smell REALLY BAD.

Answer 3

If the coin is at all valuable, you should NEVER, EVER try to clean it! Cleaning can damage the surface of the coin and reduce its value. That's especially true of old silver coins which are often worth far more to collectors in "as-is" condition.

If it's a common coin with no extra value like a recent-date penny, you can it in a variety of ways, including using a mixture of vinegar and salt, a pencil eraser, copper cleaner, and ketchup. For the salt-vinegar mixture, you can pour a quarter cup of vinegar into a bowl that contains two teaspoons of salt. Place the coins in and wait five minutes before removing them from the mixture. Rinse the coins under water to remove any residue and dry them.

Answer 4

The short, blunt answer is They Should Not Be Cleaned.

Anything you have at home that might clean a coin, except maybe distilled water, will damage the metal and reduct its value. Collectors consider cleaned coins to be tampered with, and pay less than they would for coins in their natural state even if that means they're tarnished.

Answer 5

You can scrub it with Hydrogen Peroxide and leave it in a bowl of boiling water. Also leaving it in a glass of Pepsi seems to work pretty well depending on how old the coin is.

DON'T! Any dealer will tell you that cleaning a coin will greatly reduce it's value. The loss of patina will make it drop tremendously.

Answer 6

The first rule of coin collecting is "NEVER CLEAN A COIN" because if the coins have any collectible value, cleaning them kills it. I have seen many coins that have been reduced to face value from cleaning. Please show them to a collector or dealer BEFORE you clean them. You may be very glad you did.

Answer 7

The most common advice given on coin cleaning is, "do not clean your coins", especially coins with any value. Cleaning destroys the finish and lustre of the coin.

If you absolutely insist on cleaning your coins, some coin catalogues suggest that really dirty gold and silver coins can be washed very carefully in warm soapy water, rinsed and dried gently with a tissue.

Copper coins should not be cleaned at all, maybe brushed gently with a soft brush.

If still in doubt, speak to a coin dealer who may be able to put you in touch with a professional.

For any coin you may have found while digging the garden, etc., the damage has already been done. If you want to return a really cruddy, and otherwise valueless coin to a relatively "pleasing to the eye" state, do whatever you like to it.

Answer 8

Cleaning old coins can actually damage them and ruin the value but, If absolutely necessary. I've found that Baking soda with a little bit of water to form a paste and rub with a piece of Cheese Clothe will do the trick. If they are starting to corrode then a small glass of Coke Cola let sit for an hour or two then rise off. But, Try not to clean them at all if possible.

Answer 9

Just use baking soda and vinegar.