Cleaning coins: starting the process

Starting the process of cleaning coins should begin with sorting your coins. If you're lucky, you'll find that some of your coins need very little cleaning. Store these coins to one side in a separate jar as they're not going to need much work.

Put your coins in one of your jars cover with distilled water. Leave them to soak for an hour or so then pull one out and rub it with you fingers - you should find that some of the dirt has been softened enough to come away. Start using your toothbrush to scrub away at the surface.

Repeat this for all of your coins, rinsing each one in more distilled water and drying carefully with paper towels. Examine each coin under with your magnifying glass. You'll find that some of your coins are pretty clean just from being soaked in the distilled water.

If they are still covered in dirt, then you should try giving them a longer soaking. Cover them up in a clean jar with fresh distilled water, and leave them for several days. Repeat the scrubbing, rinsing, and drying a second time.

Now time for the olive oil: coins that are still encrusted with dirt and corrosion should be covered with oil in a jar with a screw top lid, so that you don’t spill the oil accidentally. Leave your coins soaking in the olive oil for a couple of days. You can pull them out, brush them with the toothbrush and blot with paper towels, and examine them with the magnifying glass. As you remove the dirt, take out the clean coins but return the dirty ones for some more soaking.

As the dirt and corrosion comes off the coins you should start to be able to see images and inscriptions. As the cleaning progresses you'll find that on some coins you can't see anything - you may have to accept that you have a worn-out slug. Handle a coin enough and the images will be rubbed smooth.

Patina is a coating that develops on metal after many years of use, as the metal reacts to the air and the acid on people's skin. Patina can be greenish, brownish, or greyish in colour and many collectors consider it one of the beauties of ancient coins. Coins with excellent patina can be excused for having slightly worn images.

When cleaning coins, it's very important to never do anything to a coin that will remove the patina or change its original colour.

Technorati Tags:
coin, cleaning, patina