In reference to valuable coins: Is rinsing with water "cleaning"?

[hugepossum]

I have just returned from browsing a coin collection website and discovered that they are extremely uptight about coins being cleaned (even more than I thought).

So if I unearth a, i dunno, 1850 nickel and it is caked with dirt and crud, is it acceptable to rinse under water and pat dry without the resale value being affected? I would have thought that would be fine and hardly should be classified as "cleaning", but just looking for some input.


Thanks and great site.

[BuckleBoy]

Copper coins--if the patina looks like it'll hold, perhaps toothbrush and water as needed. If the patina looks fragile, or the coin is crusty--I use the peroxide method.


Nickels I've never had good luck with.



Either of the coin types above, unless you have a rare date the coin will not be worth much.



Silver coins I do not clean in the field. Wiping them on your jeans will scratch the heck out of the coin by rubbing the dirt into the face of the coin. Instead I drop them in a medicine jar filled with cotton balls until I get home. Then I turn the water on full blast with the drain plugged and I blast as much dirt off the coin as possible. Then while the water is still going, I use a camel's hair Very Soft make-up brush like a rouge brush to loosen and let the water whisk away the dirt. The coins end up looking like they've never been in the ground. Even with a 10x magnifying glass I can't see any scratches.


If you'd like I will post some photos of some coins cleaned with the methods I mentioned above.



Regards,



Buckleboy

[ocalasix]

i have heard all types of methods , i too am wondering on how to clean up some older coins, but not sure when top clean em, peroxide , i have heard baking soda and water/toothbrush and then also heard toothpaste and toothbrush works well too...gregg

[hyperion]

Heh, heh! I think I'm a member of the forum referenced.

My take is clean away if that makes you happy. But you should know if you want to sell your find the cleaning will usually reduce the value SIGNIFICANTLY! Any contact with the surface using toothbrushes, baking soda, toothpaste, etc., will leave telltale scratches that are not reversible.

Some advice ... if it's valuable just rinse off as much crud (without rubbing) with plain old tap water ... distilled is better and lightly blot dry. Don't do anything else. I think another member of the forum posted a 1916-D Mercury Dime find that he had cleaned till it was nice and shiny. His $2000 find was now worth about $500.

[WheatbackDigger]

I have just returned from browsing a coin collection website and discovered that they are extremely uptight about coins being cleaned (even more than I thought).

So if I unearth a, i dunno, 1850 nickel and it is caked with dirt and crud, is it acceptable to rinse under water and pat dry without the resale value being affected? I would have thought that would be fine and hardly should be classified as "cleaning", but just looking for some input.


Thanks and great site.

If you do find a 1850 Nickel, I wouldn't worry to much about cleaning it. It is a FAKE