Who here cleans their junk silver?!

GimmeSomeSilver · Sep 29, 2011

Just a thought. I usually clean my junk silver if I don't have any key dates, just because I love how a nice shiny silver coin looks. Just apply a bit of baking soda, and BAM.

HH,
Cody.

mts · Sep 29, 2011

When I first started collecting silver I wanted everything all shiny. I ended up cleaning a bunch of junk Franklins with silver polish. Now I wish I had never done that. They just don't look right and they never will again. I have no problem with cleaning silver rounds and bars if that is what you want to do (although I only do this sparingly as a way to show people what nice shiny silver looks like). But I'm now against cleaning silver coins of any type.

Once you clean it you can't go back. But you can always change your mind and clean it anytime you want to in the future. My recommendation is to hold off on cleaning those coins. Clean a couple and let them sit for a while to see if you change your mind on how you feel about cleaned coins. Then, if you decide in the future that you like the cleaned look better, go for it.

Think of it like this.... if you clean your coins you MAY find that there will be people who will be less likely to want them. Some people just don't like cleaned coins. I realize that these are "junk" silver and have very little numismatic value. But there will always be "some" numismatic value even for common date coins. If you try to sell your cleaned coins to someone who doesn't like cleaned coins then you are out of luck. The opposite is NOT true. If you leave your coins dirty and try to sell them to someone who only wants cleaned coins, then no problem. Just whip out your cleaner and clean them on the spot.

Again, once it's cleaned you can never go back.

GimmeSomeSilver · Sep 29, 2011

mts said:
When I first started collecting silver I wanted everything all shiny. I ended up cleaning a bunch of junk Franklins with silver polish. Now I wish I had never done that. They just don't look right and they never will again. I have no problem with cleaning silver rounds and bars if that is what you want to do (although I only do this sparingly as a way to show people what nice shiny silver looks like). But I'm now against cleaning silver coins of any type.

Once you clean it you can't go back. But you can always change your mind and clean it anytime you want to in the future. My recommendation is to hold off on cleaning those coins. Clean a couple and let them sit for a while to see if you change your mind on how you feel about cleaned coins. Then, if you decide in the future that you like the cleaned look better, go for it.

Think of it like this.... if you clean your coins you MAY find that there will be people who will be less likely to want them. Some people just don't like cleaned coins. I realize that these are "junk" silver and have very little numismatic value. But there will always be "some" numismatic value even for common date coins. If you try to sell your cleaned coins to someone who doesn't like cleaned coins then you are out of luck. The opposite is NOT true. If you leave your coins dirty and try to sell them to someone who only wants cleaned coins, then no problem. Just whip out your cleaner and clean them on the spot.

Again, once it's cleaned you can never go back.

Hmm...I see your point of view. I'll give it a try and see if I have a change of heart. Thanks.

hombre_de_plata_flaco · Sep 29, 2011

I usually refrain from cleaning junk silver coins. I saw an old Washington quarter that was heavily circulated cleaned with baking soda and it just didn't "look right" to me. I guess the brain sees the wear on the coin and expects the shine to match.

One type of coin I will clean with baking soda are the 40% JFK's. If the coins have not circulated too much, they come out looking really nice IMO. I don't have to worry about destroying any kind of numismatic value when I clean the 40%er's and I can sell those shiny suckers for $6.00 a piece all day long at my booth at the antique mall.

clovis97 · Sep 29, 2011

I've cleaned a 64 JFK half that appeared to be covered in an asphalt or tar substance. I used baking powder...it gleams, and is my favorite coin so far.

Otherwise, I haven't cleaned any coins.

Goldmanford · Sep 29, 2011

I cleaned an old wheatie with a pencil eraser when I was very young. I still have all my original wheaties and can easily pick that one out despite the fact it was over 30 years ago. I don't clean them but I may wash the crud off.

GimmeSomeSilver · Sep 29, 2011

hombre_de_plata_flaco said:
I usually refrain from cleaning junk silver coins. I saw an old Washington quarter that was heavily circulated cleaned with baking soda and it just didn't "look right" to me. I guess the brain sees the wear on the coin and expects the shine to match.

One type of coin I will clean with baking soda are the 40% JFK's. If the coins have not circulated too much, they come out looking really nice IMO. I don't have to worry about destroying any kind of numismatic value when I clean the 40%er's and I can sell those shiny suckers for $6.00 a piece all day long at my booth at the antique mall.

Haha. I can just see people now "oooooo shiny! I'll take it."

fistfulladirt · Sep 29, 2011

I used to, until I was told that I was damaging the "melt value" BAM! :headbang:

GimmeSomeSilver · Sep 29, 2011

fistfulladirt said:
I used to, until I was told that I was damaging the "melt value" BAM!

How does it damage the melt value? The amount of silver that it *may* take off the coin would be minuscule.

fistfulladirt · Sep 29, 2011

GimmeSomeSilver said:
fistfulladirt said:

I used to, until I was told that I was damaging the "melt value" BAM!

Click to expand...

How does it damage the melt value? The amount of silver that it *may* take off the coin would be minuscule.

Oh, the newbs are gullible. Sorry, dirt's not the only thing I'm full of.

mts · Sep 29, 2011

Goldmanford said:
I cleaned an old wheatie with a pencil eraser when I was very young. I still have all my original wheaties and can easily pick that one out despite the fact it was over 30 years ago. I don't clean them but I may wash the crud off.

My brother and I cleaned Peace Dollars with erasers when we were kids. At the time we had no idea what we were doing and they sure looked nice when we were done. :P I wonder if my brother still has those

GimmeSomeSilver · Sep 30, 2011

mts said:
Goldmanford said:

I cleaned an old wheatie with a pencil eraser when I was very young. I still have all my original wheaties and can easily pick that one out despite the fact it was over 30 years ago. I don't clean them but I may wash the crud off.

Click to expand...

My brother and I cleaned Peace Dollars with erasers when we were kids. At the time we had no idea what we were doing and they sure looked nice when we were done. :P I wonder if my brother still has those

Haha go get 'em!

Straight_Flush89 · Sep 30, 2011

If you plan to sell the coins, don't clean them. Dealers will see all cleaned coins on the counter and want nothing to do with you. Not only does it make you appear to be an amateur, but any key dates you may have missed would be worthless. Some people won't buy cleaned junk silver, as most people like the circulated look.

Teknowaffle · Sep 30, 2011

The place where I sold my junk didn't care as they were being melted, so I let my wife clean them with a silver polishing rag. She loved doing it while watching tv, and liked to look at the results, so I saw no harm.

captainfwiffo · Sep 30, 2011

For the love of everything good and right, don't clean your freaking coins. I don't care if you think they're junk, if you don't know a lot about the series, you don't know that. They could be a rare date (or a rare variety of a common date), and you just don't know. Even if it's your junk now, it might be somebody else's gem in 50 years time. They don't always go to be melted - a lot of bullion dealers buy and sell bags of "junk" silver instead of just sending them to the refinery. A lot of coin collectors are able to pick out good stuff from those "junk" lots.

Just as an example, here's a guy who found a dateless 1916 standing liberty quarter in a lot of "junk" silver. Even worn almost flat, without a date, that coin is worth $1500.

I can't tell you how many coins I've bought off eBay, only to have to return them because some idiot at some point in time decided they'd look better polished up. It's not always possible to tell from photos. I had to send back a 1926-S Merc that some idiot must have cleaned with a Brillo pad. In original condition it's a $200+ coin, but cleaned it's worth a fraction of that. I had to send back a cleaned 1924-D just this morning. A lot of these coins aren't just valuable, they're really hard to find. I'm sick of paying return postage so stop cleaning your coins!

It's one thing to GENTLY rinse off loose dirt, gunk or grease, but never rub or polish a coin or try to remove tarnish. 100% pure acetone (NOT nail polish remover) is safe for this purpose, but be aware of how it must be handled and what it does to plastics and rubber. If in doubt, don't touch it!

The same goes for anything old. Ever watch Antique's Roadshow? Some lady comes in with an old piece of American furniture and says "Oh, it was so dark and grimy, so I took some turpentine and cleaned it up nice!" Then the expert bludgeons her to death with an ottoman for having turned a half million dollar armoire into a stack of worthless firewood.

GimmeSomeSilver · Sep 30, 2011

Teknowaffle said:
The place where I sold my junk didn't care as they were being melted, so I let my wife clean them with a silver polishing rag. She loved doing it while watching tv, and liked to look at the results, so I saw no harm.

Same here. I don't see why many places would care if they are just being melted down. And 95 percent of my silver are 1964's so i'm confident there aren't any key dates. It still pleases me to see them shiny.