Cleaning Old Coins
Posted: Feb. 2, 2013, 2:13 p.m. by Jason Champion in cleaning coins dime silver
Old coins often have dirt, corrosion, oil, or other “gunk” on them. It can be tempting to clean them with powerful industrial cleaners, silver polish, Shine Brite, or other chemical cleaners.
However, this is a bad idea.
Over time, coins develop oxidation, discoloration, and a layer of grime. This is called a patina, or more commonly in numismatics, toning.
Natural Toning on a Mercury Dime.
Chemical cleaning agents will remove toning. A coin in its ...
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