clean or not clean coins?

[MoneyBags]

should i or should i not clean coins that I am going to keep in my collection?

 

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[namster]

Personally, I use a dremel with a brass brush to clean all of my more rare coins. I find that this method knocks down some of the sharp edges in the striking, giving the coin a very smooth appearance...

In seriousness, do not clean coins, outside dipping them in acetone and dabbing with a cotton cloth. If you clean a coin with abrasive methods, and it had numismatic value, it no longer does or it is greatly diminished.

 

[PhattyB]

You can mildly clean them, but since I don't like to do that myself I didn't note the details. I think it was just mild detergent and water, soft towel pat dry. You don't want to do more than that, ever.

I like a dirty coin, it shows history! Just remember they can always be cleaned, but you can't reverse.

 

[fistfulladirt]

Many of today's valuble and collectible coins were commonly cleaned in the old days.
Trends change...we know better today.

 

[MoneyBags]

ok i will not clean any coins

 

[ArkieBassMan]

should i or should i not clean coins that I am going to keep in my collection?

As others have stated, cleaning a coin will lessen its numismatic value considerably. That is if it had any numismatic value to begin with. If not, then value wise it doesn't make a rip one way or the other.

Bottom line is they're your coins. If you prefer the "cleaned" look, then have at it!

 

[TheRockDoc]

I understand that it was definately a "trend" to "shine, or polish" a coin or two back in the day.... wayyy back. But what I dont understand is why it is even a question today...... Why do so many of us have this inner want/need/desire to "clean" our coins? Please understand that I am including myself when I say we, because of my CRH'ing addiction, my disease has spread to coin collecting (numismatic stuff) and so I know as much as anybody that cleaning coins is a very big NO NO. I still get that "clean it" impulse from time to time. I have been reading the cherry pickers guides as of late, and I started with my CRH'ing half dollars, I have already found 3 DDO and 1 1964 D/D rpm... I dont think they are anything to special, cause they are not MS anymore, but "cleaning them" would just about guarantee that any additional value would have been destroyed. why do we get the impulse to try to make our coins "look better".....?

 

[crhstreetwalker]

OCD

 

[fistfulladirt]

I understand that it was definately a "trend" to "shine, or polish" a coin or two back in the day.... wayyy back. But what I dont understand is why it is even a question today...... Why do so many of us have this inner want/need/desire to "clean" our coins? Please understand that I am including myself when I say we, because of my CRH'ing addiction, my disease has spread to coin collecting (numismatic stuff) and so I know as much as anybody that cleaning coins is a very big NO NO. I still get that "clean it" impulse from time to time. I have been reading the cherry pickers guides as of late, and I started with my CRH'ing half dollars, I have already found 3 DDO and 1 1964 D/D rpm... I dont think they are anything to special, cause they are not MS anymore, but "cleaning them" would just about guarantee that any additional value would have been destroyed. why do we get the impulse to try to make our coins "look better".....?

Here's a fer instance...I've dug several hundred old silvers and IH's in the last few years. I'd have to say that almost every one has been cleaned in some manner, you can't dig a nice coin and catalog it with grit or dirt on the surface. It will be ruined in no time.
Cleaning is a matter of personal taste. I agree you'd have to be nuts to clean a rare or semi-rare key coin. I have cleaned some junk silver and received more than melt for a common dates.

 

[OtraVez]

Personally, I use a dremel with a brass brush to clean all of my more rare coins. I find that this method knocks down some of the sharp edges in the striking, giving the coin a very smooth appearance...

In seriousness, do not clean coins, outside dipping them in acetone and dabbing with a cotton cloth. If you clean a coin with abrasive methods, and it had numismatic value, it no longer does or it is greatly diminished.

While hilariouse, it is a bad idea to post this as there are people that won't read past your first sentence and you may some day come acrossed these polished coins coin roll hunting when their children dump them in a coinstar.

 

[CoinFetcher]

I keep the grim on my coins for the extra melt weight

 

[quiksilver]

Hmmm should i dump where i eat?