Picture this… you find old coins in a box as you’re cleaning out the house of a relative that’s recently passed away. You look up the coins online to see what they’re worth and get excited to see they could fetch you around $300 each. However, you also notice the coins are a bit dirty from sitting in that box for years, so you decide to give them a nice clean and polish them. You go to a shop to sell them, and the shopkeep tells you that they can’t even buy them for a tenth of what they are worth.
Coins can actually lose a lot of value when you clean them. This is why we never recommend that you clean your coins before you sell them.
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. When you clean your coins, you can also damage the design of the coin itself if you apply too much pressure while scrubbing, or if you scrub for too long. A coin’s design can be one of its most valuable assets, especially when the design is unique, rare, or no-longer in print. It’s one of the most important factors when buyers grade the coin. The coin can also become damaged during the drying process if the cloth you use to dry it is too rough. This causes scratches and blemishes that further decrease the value. When it comes to bullion coins, even your newer coins hold their value in their precious metal content, not their cleanliness.
A coin’s patina is the layer of toning that a coin naturally develops over time. Patina development is how the metal in the coin naturally protects itself from the environment. Another important reason not to clean your coins is because a coin’s patina can help determine how much it is worth.
Silver Coins
Silver coins will turn from a light grey to a darker brownish grey with even darker browns in the recessed areas of the coin.
Gold Coins
Gold turns to a softer or warmer yellow over time since it is the least reactive of the metals. It may be harder to determine the patina on gold because of this. If your gold coins have a brown or dark-looking patina on them, it may mean that your coin was not made from solid gold, but was mixed with other metals.
Ready to Sell Some Dirty Coins?
If you have some coins you are looking to sell, you can contact us or come into our shop located in Upland, CA. Although we don’t require appointments, we definitely recommend them to make sure you can be serviced.
(Always talk to your CPA or Financial Advisor before making investments.)
Coin cleaning is the controversial process of removing undesirable substances from a coin's surface in order to make it more attractive to potential buyers.
takes away from their value, he said. “It gives the coin an unfair advantage on other coins … it will be a coin that is not natural. The coins that will bring your premium are the coins that are natural,” Zeitouni said.
A coin's patina is the layer of toning that a coin naturally develops over time. Patina development is how the metal in the coin naturally protects itself from the environment. Another important reason not to clean your coins is because a coin's patina can help determine how much it is worth.
While you may be tempted to polish your coins to make them look shiny and new, proceed with caution. Polishing and/or cleaning coins can reduce their value. Older coins that show deep age coloration are more desirable than coins whose surfaces have been stripped away by improper polishing or cleaning.
Most coin experts have since come out against cleaning coins, as doing so can negatively affect them both in grade and value. If a potentially valuable coin must be cleaned (for example if the coin is deformed) then professional work is recommended.
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.
Destructive cleaning uses abrasives or acids to clean (and alter) the coin surfaces. Non-destructive cleaning uses solvents that are harmless to the coin's metal, whether that coin be silver, gold, or modern clad composition. Destructive coin cleaning will reduce the collector value as much as 50 percent or even more.
Cleaning an old coin would remove the patina or toning that helps make it even more unique and visually appealing. Removing this effect can significantly reduce the value of the item. The other main reason you shouldn't clean old coins is that you can easily damage them.
Usually, a clean coin loses at least four to two grading points, depending on the coin,” Zeitouni said. He likened it to altering a photo, it's not accurate history and coins are history.
Collectible or valuable coins should not be cleaned as cleaning almost always reduces their value and rarely improves their grading. Though it may seem that a bright, shiny coin would be more appealing to coin collectors, the truth is most prefer coins to possess their natural color.
If proper advance notification of a contaminated currency deposit does not occur, or if proper packaging requirements are not met, the Federal Reserve Banks reserve the right to return the deposit to the financial institution.
One common method is to soak the coin in warm distilled water for a few minutes and then gently scrub it with a soft toothbrush. Another method is to create a paste using baking soda and water, and then rub it onto the coin using 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!
Collectible or valuable coins should not be cleaned as cleaning almost always reduces their value and rarely improves their grading. Though it may seem that a bright, shiny coin would be more appealing to coin collectors, the truth is most prefer coins to possess their natural color.
They often think cleaning coins will enhance their value, or mistakenly believe that it's a market preference to have all coins be bright and shiny. (But, as we see throughout this article, cleaning only damages their numismatic value—and often by 20% to 50% or even more in worst-case scenarios.)
If they have a lot of coins made of the same metal and of similar quality to the ones you're selling, chances are they'll give you a fairer price. Many dealers can also handle rare coins, but you'll usually get more money from auctions or private collectors when selling these coins.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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