My Advice on Coin Cleaning

My advice on cleaning coins is simple: Don't do it!

Cleaning your old coins is almost a sure way to reduce their value...drastically. But if your coin is not that valuable to begin with, and you are dead-set on cleaning it, here are a few things to consider.

First of all, never use abrasives, including an abrasive cloth. Soft cloths only. Cleaning coins requires that you be gentle.

If you soak your coins in a "coin dip," do not mix types of coins, i.e. copper and silver. as that cause discoloration.

Soaking a coin for an hour or so in Coke or Pepsi will make it shiny, though it doesn't work with all coins.

Ivory soap and cold water is very effective, and relatively safe.

For Bronze and Copper coins, soaking them in olive oil for 24 hours is sometimes effective.

And finally, don't ever clean valuable coin unless you really know what you are doing. Again, cleaning a coin will drastically reduce the value. But if, for example, you've found a rare coin with a metal detector, have dug it up, and it's dirty as hell, what do you do? Your best bet, if you want to preserve it's value, is to use a professional cleaning service like the Numismatic Conservation Services. They are experts in restoring coins.