A guy at a show told me I was ruining my finds with wire brushing

I went to a local coin show in Des Moines last fall and showed a guy a 1798 large cent I dug up. He pretty much scolded me, said the wire brush scratches were destroying the value and the history. I switched to a soft toothbrush and distilled water soaks, letting the dirt loosen on its own. Now I only use a wooden pick for the tough stuff, and I can actually see the details without those ugly lines. Has anyone else gotten harsh feedback that made you change your whole cleaning process?

3 comments

3 Comments

christopher3852mo ago

The wire brush guy did you a favor even if he was a jerk about it. I learned the same way after someone tore into me for scrubbing a seated liberty dime. Now it's toothpicks and patience all the way. Slow soaking is the only way to go with old copper, anything else is just sanding off money.

wade7672mo ago

Patience is definitely the key with those old coins, @christopher385. I ruined a nice 1850s large cent years ago with a baking soda scrub before I knew any better, and I still kick myself over it. A long soak in distilled water with very careful toothpick work has been the only thing that's ever worked well for me since then.

the_simon2mo ago

wait why would anyone use baking soda on old copper tho