Hydrogen peroxide is a fantastic solution for removing dirt from coins while also sterilizing them. Simply place the coins in a bowl and ensure they are completely covered with hydrogen peroxide. Allow them to soak for a full 24 hours. Afterward, rinse the coins with water and gently dry them using a cloth.
Get a box of plain ol' baking soda and pour a little of it into your hand. Grab the coin to be cleaned, dip it in water, and roll it around in the baking soda. Next, use your fingers to rub the baking soda into the coin. Rinse it off and repeat, if desired.
NO... You should never clean a coin. That takes away from the value. Coins grading companies like NGC and PCGS have a service called conservation, it is like cleaning. They will restore the coin ONLY if it does not damage the coin.
Acid based cleaners will eat away at a coin's surface diminishing its value. According to research professor Vinod Patel, washing common coins with natural white vinegar and iodized salt in distilled water is a non destructive way of cleaning them.
The salt and acetic acid in vinegar do the trick. Hot sauce, like Tabasco or taco sauce, also will remove the oxides off pennies. As in ketchup, salt and vinegar are both in hot sauce. Coke and off-brand colas will quickly remove the tarnish.
Yes, you can use hydrogen peroxide to clean coins. It can remove stains and tarnish and won't damage your coins' surface. However, it's best to use a diluted form of hydrogen peroxide instead of concentrated.
When it comes to cleaning dirty coins at home, Coca-Cola provides an option. This is because Coke contains phosphoric acid, which reacts with metal oxides due to its acidic nature. To clean your old coins using Coke, simply fill a bowl with it and allow them to soak.
Ammonium - Windex works fine. This will clean the coin without damaging the silver. Lemon Juice - This works great on hard to clean silver coins. Simply leave the coin in the juice until the desired amount of crud has been removed.
WD-40 is a lot less messy than olive oil but more expensive and not for use on the semi-industrial scale which some coin-cleaners seem to do. I would do 2-3 coins and leave them in the oil for a day or two at most (not being the patient type). It did help some on hard encrustations but not enormously.
Should you clean old coins? In almost all situations the answer is no, you should not clean old coins. When a coin is graded, the condition of the coin does not include its cleanliness. Collectors of old coins will fully expect a patina to have developed, and most will appreciate the appearance.
In the 1960s, the U.S. stopped minting silver coins because they'd become too expensive, he said. So coins from 1964 and before are more valuable. Some are worth a decent amount of money. If they're not rare, they can still bring in 12 times the face value because of the silver.
Be sure to avoid using acid, alcohol, or solvent-based cleaners. These types of cleaners can ruin or discolor the more delicate surface of the brushed nickel finish. Vinegar is a popular faucet cleaning solution, but should be avoided on brushed nickel.
The only ways to “clean” a coin without impinging its value is to use non-abrasive methods that don't alter the patination or toning on the coin. So, how do you clean a coin without lowering its value? You do so by running it under a slow stream of tepid water and then patting (not rubbing) it dry with a soft cloth.
The vinegar and salt mixture dissolves the outer layer of dirt. Flip the pennies over and wait another 30 seconds. Then remove them, rinse them with water, and dry. Now you have two clean, shiny pennies!
Cleaned coins lose value because most cleaning products are abrasive, you can easily damage the coins, and even non-abrasive cleaners can react poorly with other metals in the coins.
Vinegar and lemon juice both work really well for cleaning pennies. But, ketchup was the clear winners for our pennies, with soy sauce next, maybe with a little more time they would have gotten a little bit cleaner. This is a fun experiment to try with younger kids!
If you are interested in numismatic value, soapy water only. If not soapy water and a soft brushing. A dip in HCl would remove the tarnish, but you are severely damaging it at that point.
The 1982 “no mint mark” with bronze/copper composition and large date can cost an average of $0.05 in circulated condition. In an uncirculated state, the coin's value can range from $6 to $16. But pieces in higher grades – MS67 and above–can sell for as much as $135.
Coins can deteriorate if exposed to cigarette smoke, rubber, paint, textiles such as wool and felt, and too much humidity. Keep your coins pristine by storing them in airtight plastic holders, such as the encapsulation slabs of third-party grading services.
Yes. A rinse in distilled water, or a soak in isopropyl alcohol, or acetone, or xylene will remove surface dirt or oils without hurting the coin, a long as you do no rubbing on the coin during the rise/soak, or when it is drying.