How to clean old coins??

Question

old silver dollars dates are late 1800's early 1900's pure silver

Answer 1

As a coin dealer I will advise you - never clean a coin. Collectors want them as they are...if they seem wore and discolored so be it, true collectors will not buy cleaned coins.

Answer 2

The people here that said do not clean them, hit the nail on the head, they must be coin collectors. You clean them and all you will get for them is 7 times face for the silver content from a dealer. Cleaned silver dollars have very little resale value. Silver dollar collectors are a picky lot and want the best, not the best cleaned.

Answer 3

If you want your coins to have any value DO NOT CLEAN THEM! Cleaning a coin is like sanding down an antique piece of furniture and refinishing it. It looses all value to a collector. Cleaning a coin can reduce a coin worth hundreds of dollars to a mere $20.

Any scrubbing will damage the coin and scratches (even if you can't see them). Grading companies like PCGS can recognize cleaned coins and if they are cleaned there is no chance of getting them slabbed.

It would be wise to take your coins to a dealer to find out the value. You can also find more information here:
http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/default.asp

Answer 4

Baking soda method
This is a very easy to do cleaning method. However, it doesn't work on everything, and it is mostly used to clean old silver coins that you find in the ground.
Just wet the coin and dip it in some baking soda and clean it with an old toothbrush. This will take the tarnish off, and make your coin shiny without scratching it.

Ammonia method
Fill a small jar with ammonia, add your gold or silver items, put on the lid and let sit for awhile. Open it up later and polish each piece with a soft cloth. This works best for gold. We have tried old silver coins that we found in the salt water, but afterwards you need to use the baking soda and a toothbrush also to get all the black off.


Blue Magic Metal Polish
This is a product we use all the time to clean our gold rings and other jewelry. Safe and nonabrasive, removes oxidation and tarnish. Works on gold, silver, chrome, aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel.
It kind of reminds me of toothpaste. Blue magic liquid metal polish works like magic on virtually every surface.
Directions:
Shake well. Apply small amount with soft cloth. Rub until a black film appears. Buff off with a clean soft cloth or buffer. Blue magic leaves a protective film. We paid $3.99 for it.

Answer 5

Solid silver coins (like solid gold ones) are very soft and should not be scrubbed. The fine scrape marks that this causes (usually invisible to the naked eye), drastically reduce the value of the coins.
Use vinegar or silver polish (the dip kind, not the scrub kind) and a soft cloth.

Answer 6

Never,ever clean coins!! That totally destroys their value for a collector.

Answer 7

Oxy Clean, get the Oxy Clean "Free" , it cleans twice as good as regular Oxy Clean, I have used it to clean many things, even used it to unstop a sink.

Warning:

Using a metal polish and things of that nature usually removes a layer of metal to clean it, and this is NOT good for its value.

From many things I have read it is not wise to clean an old coin, the dirt on the coin is considered "aging" and can add to the value, usually cleaning a coin depreciates it value.I have read many a article discussing it, just do google searchs on cleaning old coins and value. etc....

Answer 8

dont clean them you will ruin the value of them i repeat do not clean them at all !!!! take them to a coin dealer to have them valued first you could ruin a very valueable coin by 1000's of dollars by cleaning them

Answer 9

If I were you I would NOT clean your coins.They would lose almost all of their value.I agree with Blue T and George for they are both correct.

Answer 10

put them in a big container all together then put hot water with maybe a little bleach or something in it it will cleean the coins as it sinks to the bottom