Saturday 14 December 2013

How To Clean Silver Coins

Serious coin collectors will tell you that you shouldn't clean your coin collection because they prefer that "natural look." Unless you have no interest in ever selling the coins, and don't care about lost value, absolutely do not clean them.

Silver does not combine naturally with oxygen, and thus it forms no oxides. Silver does, however become tarnished by sulfur in the air, from perspiration in the hands, or from leather purses. This will produce, after some time, a thin brown or black coating on the coin.

One way to prevent your silver coins from becoming tarnished in the first place is to store them correctly.


Go here: How To Store Coins for more information about storing coins.

Most coin collectors prefer a dirty coin to a clean coin. Do not use abrasives such as toothpaste, baking soda, etc. or acids (coca cola, etc.). If, AND ONLY IF, you can't read the characters, you might consider the methods below.

The simplest method to clean silver coins is by soaking them in warm soapy water for a few hours, turning the coins over frequently. The wet coins should then have fine household salt sprinkled over them and then be rubbed with the fingers.

Another method is to put the coins in a lemon acid bath for a few hours to one day maximum depending on the thickness of the tarnished coating to be removed from the coins. After this bath clean the coins carefully with soft brush, rinse with water and dry with soft paper.

The effect of this method can be improved by putting some small iron nails in the lemon acid bath. This will improve the chemical reduction of the lemon acid bath and a faster cleaning of the silver coin will occur.

If you use some small iron nails do not leave the silver coin longer in the lemon acid bath then 30 minutes maximum.

If the silver coin you want to clean has only some small oxidation spots then you can clean them best with an acid fluid like warm vinegar or sour milk on a soft tissue or a raw potato cut in half and rub the coin with it. After cleaning it rinse it well with water and dry the coin with a soft paper tissue.

Silver cleaners are available that can be used for cleaning heavy tarnished silver coins. They clean silver coins in several seconds but  should be used carefully.

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