12/2/2023 0 Comments Copper roman coins![]() This is due to their mintage process and microscopic silver chloride debris that causes these marks. Milky spots are a milky white substance that appears on the surface of Royal Canadian Mint Coins. WAYS TO CLEAN SILVER COINSĬomplete the same process as outlined above and soak for 5 minutes in lemon juice help to keep the coin shiny.Ĭanadian coins that are 99.99% pure silver do have a problem with Milk spots. If it is still dirty you can use a soft brush, such as a child’s toothbrush, for caked-on dirt. Rinse in running warm tap water and fully rinse the coins.Īnother alternative is to pat or blot dry with absorbent paper, only dabbing, don’t rub or wipe. Soak the coins in vinegar for around a minute. Hold the coins by their edges.ĭistilled water is best as most water is now treated with fluoride and this can cause different chemical reactions with some coins as many are made from a combination of different metals. We all have coins in our drawers which are dirty and even have a certain smell, fortunately most of these are lower value coinage and you can enjoy cleaning these as most are just pocket change. The vast majority of coins do not increase in value after cleaning, but if you have some old coins you wish to clean, try these steps. It’s best not to clean patina off rare coins as the value can be reduced. Patina can be greenish copper- type colours or brownish hues on copper and bronze based coins, or rainbow to grey to black on silver coins. When grading coins, patina can be a factor. Patina is the thin layer of tarnish, or toning, that develops on a coin over many years and many coin collectors appreciate this as sometimes it can be quite beautiful. If you have some smaller value coins like Dimes or Pennies, then this article is for you. Most collectors don’t, or rarely clean coins as it can greatly reduce value. One thing that is very important is that you record whatever has been done to a coin in case you ever want to sell or gift it to another collector so they know what they have.Īgain, DO NOT clean rare or valuable coins. This treatment is reversible and can be removed at any time, but can help to protect some coins. If after cleaning you have ancient base metal coins that have a reddish or brownish powdery surface, zinc coins that aren’t showing the details nicely you can apply a thin layer of a microcrystalline wax such as Renaissance Wax. Abrasives damage a coin's surface, remove patina and add details of their own, which is not what a collector wants to see. If you’re using coins for a craft project, fine, but for a collector, this is a definite NO. This is using any abrasive to remove material from the surface or add “shine”. Some of these chemicals can irreversibly change the appearance of a coin and must be used with care. This can be anything from giving a coin a quick dip in acetone to remove oils and deposits (including residues from vinyl coin holders), through specialist coin cleaners, to full on toxic chemicals and acids. They are very good for removing surface dirt and to an extent, some corrosion on base metal coins, but it is very easy to take the process too far and damage the coins appearance.ĭipping. These should be used with the utmost care. Mechanical cleaners such as ultrasonic cleaners. This won’t remove stains or tarnish, but will remove the dirt from most detectorists or archaeological finds. Simply washing, and rinsing, a coin in clean water. It’s important to realise that there are different levels of cleaning, some are regarded as common practice, others are not, and some should never happen. It’s possible to remove almost all of a coin's value with careless cleaning. Even third party grading services offer coin conservation services, which is essentially cleaning.įirstly, DO NOT clean rare or valuable coins, always seek professional advice. Many ancient coins come from the ground and need washing before they can even be identified as a coin. If coins were never cleaned, many of the ancient coins you would see on and elsewhere would be lumps of dirt. The main reason for this is to stop people making mistakes, especially with old, rare or valuable coins. In the coin world you will always hear dealers saying “No, you should never clean coins”. ![]() Should you clean a coin? When should you clean a coin? How should you clean a coin?
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