Took me 5 years to realize I was cleaning my finds wrong

I used to scrub old coins with soap and water soon as I dug them up. Ruined so many details on pennies and old silver. One day at a local show in Richmond a guy looked at my tray and asked if I used a wire brush. I said no just a toothbrush and dish soap. He laughed and told me I was stripping the patina off everything. Now I just rinse with distilled water and let them air dry. Still mad about all those 1920s Mercs I wrecked. Anyone else learn the hard way not to clean coins right away?

2 comments

2 Comments

maxm632mo ago

Yeah I did pretty much the same thing with a bunch of Indian Head pennies when I first started out. Thought I was being smart by soaking them in vinegar for a few minutes to get the dirt off. Turned them all this weird pinkish color and ruined any detail that was left. The worst part is I was so proud of myself for cleaning them up nice and shiny. Now I just can't believe how dumb I was back then. Once you know how to look for the right patina you realize how much you messed up those early finds.

wade7672mo ago

Hurts just reading that.