Cleaning Pennies

United States
May 8, 2007 4:57pm CST
I have inherited an old penny collection some of which have seen much better days and have a great deal of verdigris on them. What is the best way to clean them without damaging them?
1 person likes this
8 responses
kitty1234
@kitty1234 (1476)
• United States
25 Sep 07
Most coin dealers will tell you: DO NOT CLEAN YOUR OLD COINS! If you plan on selling them the discolorization makes them more valuable. Before you attempt to clean them, let a coin dealer look at them, it doesn't cost anything for them to give advice! Hope this helps!
1 person likes this
juls2me2
@juls2me2 (2150)
• United States
16 Apr 08
It's true! The value is in the natural aging. DON'T CLEAN coins. I used to collect silver dollars, dimes, and old pennies. I would polish them. I finally went to appraise the value of a couple of them quite a few years later and discovered my value was decreased because the date or another specific feature of the coin was either not noticeable or too flattened to verify specific identity. I was told never to clean the coins. You'd innately believe shiny and pretty is better, but not to a collector.
helpful_ideas
@helpful_ideas (1620)
• United States
14 Dec 07
I guess it is a good thing I have been too busy to try to attempt this. I guess I should ask a coin dealer anyway since they would know how to do it best (if at all).
KrauseHome
@KrauseHome (36447)
• United States
3 Jun 07
If you know someone in Amway or Quixstar you need to check with one of them. They used to have a product for cleaning coins, especially pennies that made a Big difference. It was awesome, and might be worth looking into.
1 person likes this
helpful_ideas
@helpful_ideas (1620)
• United States
19 Aug 07
Cool. I'll see if I can poke around for some of it on craigslist. You can trade for the darndest things nowadays
mtdewgurl74
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
15 May 08
Well from reading the other responses I gather it is not okay to clean your penny collection otherwise you will devalue it. I have heard collectors say this a woman took in a old lamp and cleaned it first they said that it devalued it by a thousand dollars that she should have left the grime and dirt on. Well, if washing them is a go then I would suggest either vinegar as one person already mentioned(Cola, I wouldn't reccomend because I have heard that it can eat a nail so it would damage the pennies.) Or you can try Oxyclean. I love it! It is the best cleaner that I have found so far that cleans pratically everything. And should clean them nicely.
bond0018
@bond0018 (22)
• India
9 Apr 08
hey putting in cola will degrade the metal! 1st check the metal it is made up of then buy cleaning "powder" available frm grocery shop for that metal. UR PENNIES WILL LOOK MINT.
phoenix25
@phoenix25 (1541)
• United States
12 May 08
You are right about cola. I think the only thing cola is good for cleaning-wise is using it to clean corrosion off of the posts on car batteries.
GreenMoo
@GreenMoo (11833)
•
15 May 08
Coca Cola is good for cleaning coins. just leave the coins to soak in it for a while, then rinse and wipe over with a soft cloth. Once you see how clean they turn out, and consider that it was the Coca Cola that did it, you'll reconsider whether you ever want to drink that stuff again!
jdrhodes
@jdrhodes (111)
• United States
11 May 08
Don't clean them, sell them. You will not be able to properly clean them with any solution or chemical you can aquire because you don't know what you're doing. Cola, vinager, brasso, or any other chemical, even dish soap, will make them worthless. Don't do it. Have them appraised.
ltmoon
@ltmoon (1008)
• United States
7 May 08
Cleaning damages the coin and reduces its value. Don't clean them!