How to Clean Your Coins

The most frequently asked question that I receive is how to "clean" coins. The answer is simple- DON'T CLEAN YOUR COINS! If not done properly you will remove the original patina and although the coin will be brighter professional numismatists, the grading services, and experienced collectors can tell the difference. You will almost certainly lessen the value of your coins. Back in the 1950s and 1960s the fad was to clean coins to make them bright. Well these are the same coins that the grading services will not encapsulate. Original coins that possess beautiful toning are in fact worth a substantial premium over a similar coin that is not original. A coin that comes into contact with any paper, cardboard, or cloth for any period of time will tone naturally. Don't clean any coin so that future generations will have the opportunity to possess these beautiful original specimens.