how to properly clean coins

Coin Care Guide

How to Clean Your Coins
Safely

This is one of the most common questions we receive. Before you reach for a cleaning product, read this first — the answer might surprise you, and getting it wrong can cost you dearly.

The Most Important Thing to Know

Do Not Clean
Your Coins

For the vast majority of coins — collectibles, rare coins, silver, and gold bullion alike — cleaning does far more harm than good. Originality and unaltered surfaces are what collectors and dealers value most.

Why Coins Tarnish & Corrode

Different metals react differently to air, moisture, and handling over time. Understanding what's happening to your coins helps explain why cleaning is almost never the right answer.

Silver

Tarnishes Naturally

Silver tarnishes — it's simply what silver does. Silver Dollars turn dark over time, and even Silver Eagles and silver bars can develop tarnish. This is a normal chemical reaction with sulfur in the air, not damage.

Copper

Tends to Corrode

Copper coins — especially old Indian Head Cents — are particularly prone to corrosion and developing patina. The color change is natural and, in many cases, actually part of what makes old copper coins desirable.

Gold

Generally Stable

Gold is highly resistant to tarnish and corrosion. If a gold coin looks dull or dirty, it is almost always due to surface contamination — not the metal itself. Abrasive cleaning is never appropriate.

What to Do — and What to Avoid

Whether you're dealing with a rare collectible or a common bullion bar, the guidance is largely the same. Abrasive cleaning destroys originality and surface quality — both of which directly affect value.

Never Do This

✕ Use a Brillo pad, scrubby, or abrasive sponge on any coin or bar
✕ Apply silver polish or any gritty cleaner — these scratch and alter the surface
✕ Use ammonia or household chemical cleaners — they react with the metal and permanently change its appearance
✕ Polish or buff gold or silver coins or bullion — even a shiny result destroys numismatic value
✕ Assume that a cleaner-looking coin is a more valuable one — the opposite is almost always true for collectibles

What You Can Do

✓ Leave the coin alone. Originality — including natural toning and patina — is valued by serious collectors and graders
✓ Rinse with distilled water to remove loose dirt, then pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth — never rub
✓ For silver coins, consider a careful "dip" in jewelry cleaner or purpose-made coin dip to remove tarnish — without abrasion (see below)
✓ Bring the coin to a dealer before doing anything. If you suspect value, get an expert opinion first — not after
✓ Store coins properly in acid-free holders or flips to slow tarnishing and prevent contact damage going forward

The Exception:
Coin Dipping

There is one method that can be acceptable in the right circumstances — "dipping." Old silver dollars and other silver coins are sometimes dipped in jewelry cleaner or a specially formulated coin cleaner to remove tarnish without abrasion.

Done correctly, dipping will not necessarily hurt the coin itself. Unlike polishing or scrubbing, it removes tarnish chemically without altering the coin's surface texture or luster.

That said, even dipping should be approached with caution. Some coins are more valuable with their original toning intact — a natural, undisturbed patina can actually be a positive attribute in the eyes of graders and collectors.

When in doubt, don't. If you think a coin might be valuable, take it to a local dealer before doing anything to it. They can advise whether dipping, leaving it alone, or another approach is right for that specific coin.

The Golden Rule of Coin Care

Originality Is Everything

When it comes to old coins and collectibles, originality is valued above cleanliness. If you abrasively clean a coin, you are altering the surface and potentially destroying value that was there.

Even bullion bars and coins should never be abrasively cleaned. Scrubbing a silver bar won't make it worthless — but it will make it less desirable and damaged. It will sell at a discount compared to an unaltered bar.

The most expensive mistake collectors make is cleaning a coin before getting a professional opinion. Once the surface is altered, it cannot be undone.

Not Sure What to Do With Your Coins?

Bring them to us or give us a call before you do anything to them. We can tell you whether they have value, whether cleaning would help or hurt, and what your best next step is.

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