How to clean old coins

How to clean old coins

A common question amongst coin collectors, especially younger collectors is how to clean old coins. If you have been given, for example, an old Victorian penny you might be disappointed to see that it’s a rather dull dark brown as opposed to a new looking bright shiny copper colour and you could be tempted to want to shine it up so it looks like new in your coin collection.

How to clean old coins if they might be valuable

Well, the simple answer to how to clean old coins is that if the coin is remotely rare or remotely collectable then you shouldn’t clean it at all before checking with a dealer or an experienced collector first.

Coins develop a surface covering called patina which dulls the coin over time though it doesn’t necessarily mean that the detail on the coin isn’t still well defined or that the coin has become less desirable by collectors. It is caused by exposure to oxygen (or ‘oxidation’).

Coin collectors expect to see some patina on old coins  and it actually adds to the appeal of good quality rare coins. Patination is quite a subtle thing and the danger is that to the untrained eye or the younger collector, patina is boring and hides the shininess. However, very old coins shouldn’t be “shiny” unless they are in mint condition and perfectly preserved, so there will usually be a balance that must be respected, otherwise you may do more harm than good if you decide to clean a coin that you shouldn’t have.

Find out more about how to find out the value of your coin here.

Ultrasonic coin cleaners

If you have found a coin out in mud, or in a river (perhaps by using a metal detector) and it is encrusted with dirt then you may, of course, try cleaning it under a tap being careful not to rub it or scratch it. Where it is really dirty then you might want to try using a very soft brush being careful not to scratch it or use an ultrasonic coin cleaner (see below) as that may loosen debris and dirt without causing damage to the coin itself.

However, if you think it might be really old or important and you’re not confident you know how to clean old coins, you should get in touch with a local historical society or museum and ask their advice before you set upon it.

Another method used to clean encrusted coins is electrolysis or by using an ultrasonic coin cleaner whereby a current is passed over the coin to loosen any debris (and also the patina).  The advantage of electrolysis is that it isn’t abrasive and it’s FAST!

There is less likelihood of any accidental damage though damage can still occur because on very old coins, it might be the patina that is holding the coin together! Take a look at this electronic ultrasonic  coin cleaner here. These are now quite cheap and very effective and you can also use them to clean jewellery and other household objects

Can you clean coins with Tomato sauce or ketchup?

When a collectable rare coin is cleaned using chemicals then it will almost always lose value because collectors won’t want a coin that has been artificially brightened up. Therefore the first thing to do before cleaning anything is to check the value of the coin to make sure you’re not effectively destroying something of worth.

You can do this by looking at the books we mentioned previously or by searching through the for sale listings on the right of this page to see if you can locate your coin.

If you decide that you really do want to clean a coin and you don’t care about the fact that it will lose value then there are various acidic chemicals that you can soak it in which should bring it up in a lovely shine. Common chemicals that are good for cleaning coins are:

• Vinegar
• Cola (any type)
• Tomato ketchup
• Olive Oil

All will effectively burn off the top layer of patination and leave you with a shiny coin. For younger coin collectors in particular, shiney coins can be a fun way to get them interested, just don’t leave them in reach of both your prized collection and a bottle of tomato sauce or you could be in for a shock if they decode to “help” you out one day by carrying out a surprise coin clean!

Beware of removing valuable patina from coins

You should never use the above chemicals or methods on a remotely rare coin before you get advice from a coin dealer or expert collector and never ever be tempted to clean mint, uncirculated coins, or proof coins which are struck with a mirror like finish as you will almost certainly damage the finish.

We hope you’ve found this article useful and that you now know how to clean old coins (and just as importantly, when NOT to clean them!)