This Post will surely stir up some debate!
As an official Club Announcement: I polled the Officers of Bel Mar Coin Club, and each one said they do NOT believe in cleaning their coins.
BUT – Coin World Magazine did a Survey, and the results may very well surprise you!
Here is the Title of their Article and the Author and a link to the Coin World website to read it there, if you like:
The results are in from collectors responding to conservator’s survey
Preserving Collectibles: Hobbyists queried on coin cleaning, coating, toning, patination
By Susan L. Maltby , Special to Coin World
Published : 08/17/2016
Below are the Surprising Results of the Survey Susan Maltby conducted for her article:
NOTE – this is the 3rd time the Survey has been taken, and the results show the changes in attitude about cleaning coins over the years.
| 1992 Yes answers | 2006 Yes answers | 2016 Yes answers | |
| Do you clean your coins | 75% | 60% | 65% |
| Do you Tone or Patinate | 15% | 4% | 18% |
| Do you Coat your coins | 19% | 3% | 14% |
These results were quite surprising to me!
I did not expect such a high percentage of “Yes” answers.
How about you?
- What are your thoughts about the Results?
- What are your thoughts about cleaning your own coins?
- If you received this Survey, how would you have answered the questions?
Please leave your answers in the Comments. Thank you!
![[Most Recent Quotes from www.kitco.com]](http://www.kitconet.com/charts/metals/silver/t24_ag_en_usoz_2.gif)
never clean anything old!
My answer would depend on what the point of the cleaning is. If the collector is cleaning the coin for preservation reasons, such as attempting to stop corrosion from bronze disease, than I am in favor of cleaning. If the purpose of cleaning is to make the coin more polished, then I would consider it irrevocably damaging the coin for the temporary aesthetics of the current time period.
Very good comment, Alan. Thank you.
I would definitely not clean coins as minor scratches will drop it’s value.Also use proper capsules bubble covers to preserve coins.Silver tarnishes v quickly.