How to Clean Coins / Restoration / Conservation - Using Coin Care on Large Cent Coin 

Thank you for the information and the name of the product you use!

hmm... ok.... well if anyone is willing to give me their "worthless" cleaned coins, I'll certainly take them off your hands...

Today’s my first day of getting into coin collecting somebody is noob is noob can get. But as a noob, I would describe your conservation method as trying to get rid of the tarnish, but leave the patina to me that sounds like the best goal for coin collecting because you would think it would, like get rid of the rot, but save the value and ultimately improve appearance dramatically, but still have the aged look. But maybe that’s like if you were an antique collector and I have the wrong line set because aren’t you supposed to want like meant looking coins coins that look brand new, but are real old? Then you would think you would wanna polish a coin, shiny, but That would mean you’d be removing copper actual real material which you don’t want to do because that would definitely scratches, and that would be cheating and changing the weight.

They gonna grade 90% of your coins as cleaned

@@jasonkav and they didn't. I was surprised though.

@@carg2528 right on

How’d it go?

How long do you let a silver coin sit in acetone?

​@@phipir4054 Acetone won't harm the coin if the coin sits in the acetone for a long time. It might take a while to work if there is a lot of junk on the coin. If the acetone doesn't work then you might have to go to something a little stronger. Sometime I will use something called MS70 but you have to be careful how you use it. If the coin is corroded then the MS70 might eat away at the coin. I used MS70 on an old Indian Head cent that I have and because there was a lot of corrosion on the coin the MS70 ate away at so much of the coin the coin is about only half as wide as it was before. You don't want to use MS70 on a coin that is heavily circulated unless you have to because by removing the film from the coin you may be making the scratches on the coin more obvious because the scratches will not longer be hidden and the coin will look like a shiny, scratched-up cleaned coin. Unless the coin is corroded the MS70 won't directly harm the coin but the coin may heavily tarnish after using the MS 70 on it which I think may be caused by either the MS70 reacting to something that was previously used on the coin or from the surface of the coin being exposed to air after taking something off of the coin with the MS70. If using a dip you have to be careful how long you leave a coin in the dip because the dip works by removing a microscopic layer of metal from the coin and if the coin is left too long in the dip eventually all of the luster will be removed from the coin. You can sometime have the same problem with the coin developing tarnish or spots on it as the MS70 when something is removed from the coin and like the MS70 you should never use a dip on a circulated coin unless it is absolutely needed. If you want to remove something from a coin without damaging the coin acetone is probably the safest thing you can use on the coin. Personally I wouldn't use Coincare on a rare coin. I have been told by other coin collectors that the oil if left on the coin after a while can attract dust which may cause spots to form on the coin

One of the best ways for cleaning bad metal detector finds is to keep the coin in your pocket for a while.

"Nitrile" gloves. Big difference. :~>

I’ve heard good things about dawn with silver coins too

I'll have to think on the ''other products''. Generally the coin ''dip'' that dealers use on silver coins can turn copper coins that pink color.

Anthony Tsatsis Well, alright, but I don't see how that relates to the subject of conserving copper coins ?!!? 🤔😖😆🤣😂

Well said

I believe you are misunderstanding. A "Cleaned" coin is an improperly cleaned coin. If it is done correctly, it is acceptable and is not marked. Proper conservation is not only accepted it is recommended for many coins. You can find the definitions on the TPG websites. Cheers!

Don I think it’s important for people to know what my definition of cleaning is; I consider conservation cleaning as well. Cleaning removes the original surface, so does conservation. Only in select circumstances would I personally be ok with conservation. For example a shipwreck coin discovery. I’d be ok with coins that are incredibly rare that have been in the ocean be conserved. Such as removing salt/algae/grime. But besides stuff like that, I personally want an original surface on a coin or one that has a higher probability of being original. I think too many people alter coins surfaces for the sole reason of profit. And I’ll tell you that the majority do not want to tell a customer it was done if they know a coin to have gone through this process. If it’s not an issue why do the majority of people hide the fact their coin being sold was altered?

If done correctly conservation does not alter or change the original surface of the coin. That is actually the point of the conservation is to not alter or change the original surface of the coin. Removing the layer of Gunk that is above the surface of the coin actually helps preserve the original surface of the coin. The issue is when people are using chemicals or incoredct ways of conserving the coin that actually alter or remove metal from the coin.

I like your specificity - so the final trick, how do you dry the coin without using the paper towel?

To answer your drying the coin. A Qtip rolled over, not rubbed. Sometimes a micro fiber cloth.

Actually, that large cent conserved up nicely, check it out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3hVlSe0PGao.html

I use a blow dryer for drying coins

My uncle is a serious copper collector and this is what he taught me. You’re about never rubbing with a Q-tip or cloth. When applying heavier layers of solutions either use a natural bristle soft paintbrush (recommend) or roll the Q-tip lightly across the surfaces. If agitating heavy crud buildup be very gentle and swirl in a light circular motion. NEVER use toothpicks, because wood is porous and abrasives like sand can embed themselves into the wood. Only use thorns such as rose thorns or other fine pointed thorns and be VERY CAREFUL and GENTLE. If you’re using this stuff thinking it’s Blue Ribbon it’s not. It’s not known if long term exposure can be harmful, so as with using products like Verdi Care (which I’ve stopped using altogether) I’d recommend an acetone bath afterwards before finishing with a thin layer of Classic Coin Conditioner applied using an extra soft Euro Tool washout brush. I shake the bottle, and wipe the neck of the bottle and the inside of the cap with the tip of the washout brush and that’s all you need to gently brush several coins.

I've been known to agitate....a soft cloth may work better.

Only in America!! The GOLDEN RULE of coin collecting - NEVER clean them, EVER!

Nope, not from I've seen. "Conserved" coin slabs are identical to regularly submitted coins.

I used NCS conservation service for silver coins at NGC all coins came back graded in regular NGC holders.

Correct- Neither company denotes restoration-

NGC and PCGS are for MUGS!

@@jeffcollins92 NGC must have mugged you for a lot of money over the years...

Soaking them in acetone will remove the paper and glue. Acetone is the main ingredient in nail polish remover. These chemicals are dangerous and one should be very careful to use them.

@@TheCoinGeek Thanks. Great video!

Confederate states of America (CSA) bond.

Honestly if you Inform them that it has been darkened it will get body bagged for sure. The probability of an old copper that hasn’t been “cleaned” at some point in its life is very slim imho. A lot of the times the hand oils kept them from extreme surface oxidation. Many old copper dealers use jewelers brushes as well because the surfaces of copper are in a constant battle with environmental factors. I say if it looks good send it. Don’t shoot your self in the foot from the start. Just my humble opinion.

I would suggest using either PCGS or NGC and their conservation/restoration services

They have Nic-A-Date coin restorer for nickels

I guess I should have watched to the end before I asked about the grading. Looking forward to see how that goes.

Tape- you want acetone to remove tape residue -

@@TheCoinGeek Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I appreciate your knowledge. These coins were taped down after WWII. I did try acetone on a couple of the coins and after a few hours they still had a sticky surface. I then loaded all the rest of the coins in a container, added liquid hand soap and ran hot water from a Keuric coffee machine over them and after a short while the residue came off without any rubbing or scrubbing. This seemed to be the safer solution at the time. Although none of the coins have any value it was an interesting experiment. GD

Exactly. Few people mention this. At the end of the day they are for my own enjoyment

No- never coat a coin to “preserve” it.

If it was a proof coin, that rubbing with the cue tip would leave super fine scratches. Believe me, I've tested it on some proof Ike dollars with the milky haze on them from the mint capsules. They looked way better with haze removed, but I was still left with very fine cotton scratches. Barely noticeable unless you tilt it in the light under high magnification! Actually, I've learned so much by playing around with my coins and dips. With that experience, I can easily recognize a totally untouched coin to a lightly cleaned one. If I had a very valuable coin, I sure would never rub on it with a cue tip. It's probably ok for the type in the video where it probably won't show.

Certification is a joke, based in America. They have NO idea about grading - their fantasy grades prove this! $30 to $50 to 'grade' each coin??

Yes ! The coin came back graded- problem free !

@@TheCoinGeek you make a video with that coin coming back and graded!

I play conservator with my "constitutional silver" all the time. I bought these coins for their silver content, not their numismatic value, so I want them to look as silvery as possible, regardless of their age. I have had success using diluted solutions of Simple Green and hot water to soak the coins for a few hours. If needed, a gentle brushing around the reeded edges is an easy and effective way to get out the gunk. Works for me, and keeps me busy after a new stack comes my way.

In VF, it’s not worth that much. I would personally crack it out, clean it in acetone and sell or keep as is.

Sounds to me like you should get rid of it !!! I’ll give you $49. 😀🙄🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

Yes indeed, gold does tarnish! Where do they find people to make incorrect statements that are 100% inaccurate

I use xylene on copper and nickel coins. Acetone on silver coins. I soak the coins and then let them air dry.

No, baking soda is too harsh to conserve coins !!!

That's an abrasive. If you're going to use that, be careful....

Its a mild way of cleaning them here, sodium bicarbonate, a tiny amount of salt and a drop of lemon or lime juice to activate it, I am not talking about caustic soda, baking soda is just bicarb with an activating agent.