How to identify cleaned coins. Is your coin cleaned and should you clean it?
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- čas přidán 9. 06. 2024
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E Z est Easiest. DUH
So I reached out to the company and they said the correct way to pronounce it is “E-ZEST” I said what about all of these people who say it incorrectly as “easiest” ? They said that they do not understand where they got that idea from and it’s kind of interesting but the name will not change. E-Zest is correct according to their President Mr. Ben Dover.
Nah but since I made the video I’ll call it E. Zest and regardless, no matter what either of us calls it, it works the same.
Ben Dover ... and his vice president Seymour Butz, must be trusted. E-Zest it is.
@@Chris-gk3xb you spoke to the Vice President too? Nice!
They spell it like it's pronounced Easiest... E.Z.est, whatever.
Except, outside of the U.S. the letter Z is pronounced "zed" not "zee", so E.Z.est would be E-zed-est.
I inherited my great uncle's coin collection that was stored in those old late 70's PVC books, and they were all inside a rusty metal lock box in his basement. There was mold and lots of that nasty green oxidizing. I only used a small amount of soap and water, a soft bristle tooth brush, and q-tips to clean them because they had to be preserved.
Coin collecting was our shared hobby. He brought me hundreds of world coins as a kid and started my state quarter collection. I was so excited to show him my first constitutional silver from my first coin show, but I never got to see the amazing collection in the lock box until he passed.
It took me many hours; days even to get through the collection. Some things were unsalvageable. I don't know if that cleaner was on the market 15 years ago, but I wasn't about to use Brasso. There are definitely some cases where cleaning is absolutely necessary in order to preserve the coins. I absolutely hated that I had to clean every single coin, but I couldn't reasonably store mold in my home. Aside from the copper oxidization, which inevitably would have taken over the coin. There were some I wasn't able to get certain staining off of. I may have a go with some E Zest. As long as they're not key dates, I would like to try to put my mind at ease to save some of the older copper from continuing to corrode. One of the most atrocious coins was a couple of rolls of steel pennies. They never looked like steel pennies again, well, because of rust. I'm getting excited to look through my collection again soon when I get it out of the safety deposit box! I was able to get the other 3-cent piece variation that he didn't have in his collection (gifted from a friend a few x-mases ago). I'm sure we would have geeked out over that one!
My Great Uncle Louis was like the grandfather I never had. He was a unique, eclectic, hard-working man, and a lifelong volunteer firefighter I always looked up to (even though he couldn't pronounce my name correctly), lol I know he would be proud that I have continued his collection. I bought some new books, and I'm still searching for one Franklin Half to complete that set and a couple of Walking Liberty halves.
He is truly missed by many. I am blessed to have had him as a grandfather figure.
Cheers, and thanks for the video! You just brought back so many wonderful memories for me, and for that; I thank you!
Use the lead end of a pencil to remove coin crust. Wipe the graphite off with your thumb and finger then erase the rest with a pencil eraser.
nice that you took that much care of the collection, just like your great uncle once did
but if you are ever dealing with older coins that have a substantial patina layer, then better just leave it like it is
many of the details you see are already completely changed into copper-oxide and if you take them away, you are most the time left with a scarred and cratered copper disc
once removed the patina from a Krauwinckel "Schulmeisterpfennig" that *was* almost perfectly readable
the alphabet and the guy at the counter table clearly visible before , but reduced to a array of distorted lines thereafter
just about 400 yrs old and made from a relatively corrosion resistant early brass alloy but nevertheless already eaten in its true metallic nature
cold water, very gentle 000 steel-wool rub with almost no pressure and maybe baking *powder* on the wet surface, to foam away loosened dirt (caution ! will remove loose patina too to a degree)
has to be soaked in frequently changed soft water for a while when cleaned using baking powder, to desalinate and ph stabilize the surface......you don't wanna see crystalizing soda burning into your coin !
but distilled water also weakens the patina after some time, so be careful.......any form of hot water does damage right away....
@@danielebrparish4271 only if you want to scratch the hell out of it. Never use any type of material that is hard as it will damage the coin.
I have discovered the pencil trick as well . led helps busy through to read dates and then used the eraser to clean off the lead and walla it cleans coins . no chemicals no BS . hit 99cent store and grab erasers . 😂it works
@@markw1757 but
still destroys the original luster of the coin
My understanding of all this is this....If you remove surface debris or dirt from a coin it would be considered conservation. Any method that preserves the original luster of the coin is OK. When you use methods that remove the original surface of the coin, or scratch it, then you have damaged the coin. Brushing, using an eraser, harsh chemicals that eat into the coins surface should all be avoided.
What about using a toothbrush and soapy water?
@@e-curb the post your question is under states "Brushing, using an eraser..."
It doesn't matter what kind of brush you use. If it's brushed there will be scratches. That's true even if you are using any kind of paste and rubbing the coin with your fingers. The paste has an abrasive ingredient that will scratch regardless of what you rub with.
I'm totally confused now. I have severly corroded coins and I don't know what to do about them . 😢one dealer at a coin show told me that there was a dealer that sold safe coin cleaning products,but he wasnt there😢
@Mahlercougar if they're severely corroded, then there probably isn't much numismatic value perse remaining . If this is the case ,then dipping with ezest or rinsing off with acetone won't cause any further harm. I would definitely stay under the allotted maximum time with ezest, I believe it recommends 15 sec dipping, 8 sec is long enough. Acetone can be used with cotton qtips, dabbing only, no wiping.
@@morgansinner as in nail polish remover?
I called Coin Guy a few weeks ago and I can personally tell tou that he is a great person to talk to.
Am a beginner in coin collection. Am trying to get some coins graded, but not sure how to do it.
The first step in any coin cleaning discussion should be to define what is considered cleaning and what is conservation. Coin Guy finally got around to it when talking about PVC and ugly toning. I always explain it like this: Cleaning = Improperly Cleaned, and Conservation = Properly Cleaned. The thing is... it is a learned skill and a lot of people screw it up. If you have a valuable coin you should send it in and let NGC or PCGS conserve. If you have an American Eagle with ugly black toning -- dip it in eZest and be happy. Cheers!
What about milk-spotting? I’ve heard isopropyl alcohol and a q-tip helps. Or even just a good, artist quality soft pencil eraser.
@@sirrathersplendid4825 i am invested to hear this answer - as i have the same question.
Me too!
I personally believe there is nothing wrong with cleaning my bullion coins because it's just bullion and I prefer luster. 🦀 😳
However I wouldn't clean a numismatic piece.
Always good to see Coin Guy, I'm thankful he's doing well 🙏.
It's not just the luster. There's something kind of disgusting about handling a batch of silver coins that are so sticky with filth that they don't slide around easily on top of one another. If a rare coin emerges after the cleaning, sell it to someone who can appreciate it, and let the patina cultists go on their merry way.
It's all about what the"OWNER" LIKES,I REFUSE TO "BUY DIRTY" COINS,BUT IT HAS TO BE CLEANED PROFESSIONALLY..I HATE DIRTY TARNISHED COINS UNLESS ITS FROM 1800S...
Luster is the original surface , not to be confused with shine.
I clean my circulated 90% and 40% coins using water/baking soda and aluminum foil. The coins are only worth spot, so the cleaning does no harm but makes each coin look better to me. I enjoy shiny coins.
Pro tip for beginners: if you can’t look at a coin and grade it with reasonable accuracy, if you’re not familiar with errors and varieties so you really don’t know whether the “common” coin you have might sell for more than typical market, DO NOT CLEAN THE COIN. Drop it in 100% acetone to remove any PVC or finger oils that might damage it, put it in a clean flip, and take some time to learn more about coins before you make them “shiny.”
Use to work for pcgs conservation lab and we used acetone but hot acetone in spray form to clean coins so even grading companies clean coins all the time.
How do you heat acetone?
@@Ross-117 well all you have to do is look up how to warm up acetone...and it tells ya
Have you ever used acid as in the video?
Did you wear a mask while spraying the hot acetone? Jeez, that must smell absolutely brutal.
Do you mean they clean all coins coming in with acetone and then mark some of them as "cleaned"? If so, that would mean they only count as cleaned coins that have been dipped in acid or buffed or polished.
As a collector and avid cleaner, this was probably the best discussed video on this topic. I've tried a few processes to preserve my coins as most of them were acquired in poor condition. I know that it's frowned upon to clean them, but the devil's advocate question I have is what if you have a key dated coin but cannot discern certain details on it without cleaning? For instance years and possible errors. I find it somewhat interesting that so many items of history can be restored to a like new value and it's rewarded, but a coin could have been given to an ancestor who didn't know better and wind up in a future collector's hands who wanted something better for that coin.
I agree; we (society) restore art all the time. Coins are art to me and to most collectors. If done correctly, I think it is ok.
I dipped coins and sent them off to be graded by NGC pgcs and it really didn't factor in my coins still came back has a 62 in an ms64 is pouring graders want to restore your coin all they're doing is the basics what you just did as long as you don't use a harsh method just like coin guy showed will I ever do that to a very rare date coin I would have to weigh the pros and cons but it seems like they want you to pay for the coin to be restored when actually in reality they basically do what you just did I guess it's all in the eyes of the beholder great video
On that first coin you dipped, part of the remaining tarnish was from where you were holding the coin. Your gloves stopped the acid from touching those parts. :)
I would also suggest having a timer in place, as the 2nd dip of the silver bar was for 18 seconds. The first dip of the copper coin was 15 seconds. Just letting you know. Fun experiment!
I'm fine with cleaning coins. As long as they don't have numismatic value.
At the end of the day it's _your_ metal. You do what you want with it.
Everything in the world is going to burn one day. I'm not that worried about cleaned coins
Could we start tomorrow?
I started as a 10yo "Collector" in 1979 and can attest that the prices were insane. I never imagined that i would have the stuff i have now. It was fun and i learned a lot, monetary value, history, geographic and geopolitics. My Mom knew what she was doing. We were not well off by any means. $2/wk Allowance for chores built my collection and going through every family member's change jars😅
I would say about 75 percent of coins over 100 years of age have been cleaned and/or polished. Just my opinion.
98% would be more accurate for coins over uhhhh less than a hunnerd years of age
Having been around the block I have cleaned coins with acetone (not what I consider 'cleaning') to remove PVC contamination and detergent when the coin had dirt on it. I've only ever used dip to clean bullion. I just can't bring myself to clean a coin with numismatic value. Learning what coins look like when they've been dipped is important, though. This is great for folks who are getting into the hobby. Very well done, sir! 👍🏻
My process for my newly purchased constitutional silver.
1. Place in Pyrex dish, pour dawn dish soap over top, ensuring each coin has some soap on it. Then pour boiling hot water into dish and let soak until water cools down enough to take each coin out by hand. Lightly rub with fingers in soapy warn water, then into clean water rinse, lightly rub, then clean hot water rinse, then air dry on towel.
2. Examine each coin under magnification to identify mint, type, double stamp, or any kind of numismatic identity. (Rare to find as these have been searched by LCS, maybe find 1 in 1000 coins, which I sell immediately, I don’t want numismatics, I only want silver value)
3. Once I determine there is no value in the coins other than the silver value, I clean in aluminum tray with baking soda and boiling water. When cooled slightly, I rub each coin slightly to rid coin of any grime. Rinse coin, dry with microfiber.
Let the hate comments begin lol.
If there's no value other than silver, do with them as you please!
@@captainsergeant exactly. But the grief I receive for that attitude lol. I can’t stand dirty coins. It’s just me. Toned, who cares, but 70 years of grime...no thanks
I have no problem with this.
@@Ronaldalan114 I with you on this statement, who wants the dirt?
I at least run my Mercury dimes under water and rub them with my fingers after digging them out of a box filled with them. In my opinion, the dirt and grime acts as sandpaper on the coin. It needs to come off immediately. Soap and water does this great.
I promise you these circulated coins have seen worse. Most probably went thru a washer and drier in a pants pocket at some point. Because circulation...
I truly believe if done right, cleaning is a wonderful way to bring out the beauty of the coin.
Yes but many don't do it right and a wrong colour will appear.
4:38 it is like a grading company says it has been cleaned improperly
5:07 a experienced seller: I don't see it has been cleaned
@Sayit Aintso what about those jewelry cloths?
In my opinion conservation of a coin is completely different then cleaning a coin.
@@Saint696Anger never use a cloth
@@victorluc66 What about handling it with white cotton gloves? Have you just cleaned it?
I've cleaned a $3k gold coin with acetone before sending it to NGC and it came out 1 grade above what I thought it would. There was very little dirt on it but it came out more lustrous.
From the UK here. When I was a kid my nan used to give me lots of copper 1p's and 2p's. They were all dark brown and sometimes green. We just got a bottle of malt vinegar,dropped the coins in for a few minutes,then rubbed off the coin and they were all nice and shiny like the dragon coin there! I much preferred to have shiny coins than grotty old brown and green ones! 👍
If you think of your old coins like antique furniture, you don't want to strip off the old finish, but you can gently clean it. You want to leave the age-earned patina on the item. On copper coins that's the chocolate brown layer. The EZ est dip is a big taboo for old coins IMO. An acetone soak and a mild soap/water rinse will not affect the coin patina.
I really enjoyed this video and the coin guy what a great guy. My take on cleaning is that if a coin is corroded or nasty the coin is already bad. That coin in history will be gone someday anyhow. The only collectors that can afford a perfect coin is one that doesn't care about money anyhow and can afford it. Most collectors collect because they enjoy the beautiful designs on the coins and enjoy clean designs. I would rather have a coin that I can show off how beautiful the coin is. If coins are cleaned they will last longer and end up in a collection someday and not wasting away. Now polishing a coin with a buffer or sanding disks is not my idea of cleaning it is refinishing a coin and in my thoughts that is not the idea of cleaning. Just saying. Enjoy reading others comments.
"Most collectors collect because they enjoy the beautiful designs on the coins and enjoy clean designs." I wish this were more true. I think most collectors start that way and then all they think about after a while is value value value. I'm a bronze collector and I love the metal because it is temperamental. Every coin has its unique personality. I like to talk about the nature of the metal and the production of the designs and I'm not always looking for shiny shiny shiny. I have coins that are worth a few bucks that I really love. I find a lot of collectors are just not like that. So I'm glad you said that. I'm glad your experience has been more positive.
I love listening to you and coin guys discussions.
I think the major grading companies should say they clean coins also!👍🏼😊Thanks again for sharing another great video 😊🙏🏼
Thanks for watching, Barbara!
It's your property, do as you please to enhance your enjoyment of the piece. If you sell it, it would be ethical to disclose it.
Exactly.
The problem, with respect to *collectible* coins, is that they are only our property for a *while* . When I acquire a coin from the early 1800's, I am hardly the coin's first owner; and I also won't be the *last* , unless I destroy the thing by mishandling it. I think it is much more appropriate to think of ourselves as *stewards* of our collectible pieces than as owners. We should strive to handle them in a way that conserves their beauty, value, and connection with the past so that the *next* steward can enjoy those qualities as much as we have.
Having said that, I see no problem with cleaning coins of little numismatic value or significance, like bullion pieces or very common dates in plentiful supply in conditions better than the one I've got.
I have had NGC send back 2 almost perfect coins as "cleaned". BOTH were taken directly from Mint Packaging
F
Wow!
I know littelton coin co. Sells cleaned coins. I knoq a guy who works there
No surprise
The answer to whether, or not to clean your coins. You have to ask yourself....when was the last time you saw a dirty coin in a PCGS slab? Toned, yes. Dirty? No. Someone is cleaning, dipping, or polishing before coin is slabbed. Pro, or not.
Thanks! Use running water for the 3rd dip; it gets totally rid of the sulfuric acid.
He should be using running water for all rinsing. I use paper towel to pat dry. Copper is tricky as it restains quickly after treatment.
Distilled water in a squeezy bottle.
Here is a secret that even the coin dealer doesnt know about. I worked at a coin shop in high school and we would take rolls of BU Morgan dollars , usually MS63 to MS67 and then would get a hard boiled egg, peal it and place it in a zip lock bag for a few days with the coin It really made the morgans rainbow tone and we would then sell them at a premium. It smelled horrible in july but the owner had an air purrifer and abunch of candles .
Fraud
He is not CashCow for nothing. Nothing like a nicely toned stinky Morgan .... reminds me of a girl friend from high school !
He literally mentions using the egg thing to get toning on that dragon coin in this video. LOL
I’ve never cleaned a coin, but it sure made a visual difference on the bar and round you used!
A friend of mine gave me an 1896 Morgan Silver Dollar - The entire coin was completely covered in yellow paint, that's the only reason he gave it to me. He felt the coin was ruined and valueless. What I did was put the coin in the refrigerator to get it cold, then I boiled some water and dropped the coin into the hot water. As a result the different in temperature caused all the paint to peal off, I really didn't have to do much, I had to repeat the process 2-3 times before the coin was completely paint free - But oh my God it was a beautiful coin! What do you think about this method/approach? Leo
They way you describe it, you weren't altering or disrupting the physical surface of the coin. You were removing a foreign body to make it identifiable and manageable. Sounds like a great technique. Use of a freezer might help as well
Many years ago, I was paid very good for repairing an antique brass headboard then artificially antiquing the repair to match and finally coating with a clear coat. Patina is the name I believe🏹
Coin Guy is a National Treasure.
Beautiful job Speg.!!
Thanks for watching, Dominick!
Excellent video, thanks! I've bought a lot of silver coins from eBay, and have been disappointed on many occasions because when I receive the coins I can immediately tell they've been dipped. The giveaway to me is that the coins are quite worn, but almost BU appearing; they are "blast white," like they were just minted. That's not honest, and it upsets me. If they'd been honest they would've said that the coins have been dipped or cleaned; I still might buy them, esp. if it fills a hole in my collection, but dang it they should tell you first! Just something to be aware of, question them before buying.
I learn so much from Coin Guy. I will be in his area in July and hopefully will be stopping bye.
Guy says just call before you come make sure he’s around
Great topic, and always great to see Mr. Guy !!
Thanks for watching, John!
Test MS 70 it’s what I use and it’s very hard to tell it was even used on some coins. One guy sent a coin to PCGS (Rob finds treasure) used with MS 70 and came back not cleaned. That’s how good it is.
Informative and entertaining, as always. I've heard dipping is very prevalent in the industry, and after watching your demonstration, I can see why.
Glad you enjoyed the video, Wofwof!
All metal has microscopic cracks, crystal boundaries, & pits. No matter how well you rinse, acid compounds will remain in these microscopic imperfections ~ which explains the observed accelerated toning, corrosion, oxidation observed after acid cleaning/conservation.
For valuable coins, only do 1 acid dip, the 2nd one does damage that the microscope sees. Difficult grime can be agitated with a soft camel hair detail paint brush while in the acid dip.
I suggest that after the 3rd rinse, do an acid neutralizing dip in baking soda & water solution(alkaline) with 2 rinses, and a third rinse in fresh distilled water.
If is is a high value coin ~ DON'T RUB IT WITH ANYTHING! Not even lightly with your finger. Those coins get inspected with microscopes.
Great comment!
Never "wipe" the coin with a q-tip like he said. Instead roll it lightly over the coin to remove pvc. Dry with a blow dryer.
Never cleaned a coin but that was really cool to watch!
I haven't either ever cleaned a coin but it was an excellent video for sure!
👍Thanks for sharing Spegtacular. Always enjoy the Coin Guys take on coins and collecting. Have a great day! 😎
Thanks for watching, Phillip!
I think the faster tarnishing is true. These dips work by chemically turning the silver tarnish back into silver. It’s how Tarn X works and the old “baking soda, hot water, and aluminum foil” method works. You can tell the reaction is working because of the hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg) stench being released.
When silver tarnishes, the tarnish has a different crystal structure than the metal, and when it turns back to silver, it retains that modified structure. It doesn’t revert back into neatly stamped, polished, or plated metal. That new structure has a higher surface area than the original metal, and more surface area means more places for chemicals to attack, a.k.a. tarnish.
A dead giveaway that silver has been chemically dipped is a matte, white luster in the areas of heavier tarnish, like in the nooks and crannies. On silverware and hollowware, you follow any dip with polishing to smooth it out and bring back the shine. Any white areas that you can’t reach to polish will tarnish again fairly quickly. It’s why I don’t buy new silver jewelry that’s too weird shaped to polish and/or won’t look good with black tarnish in the books and crannies. Silver jewelry that’s not smooth is a recipe for future ugliness.
I say do whatever you want with what you buy. Personally, I don’t understand why someone one day have decided coins shall not be clean to maintain its value and we shall all abide to that. Arts, cars, antiques, houses all can gain significant value when properly restored or cleaned why not coins. Should people be honest if they do it definitely yes. I find that some coins details are enhance when there’s some dirt or tarnish vs there's other that look totally ugly that I will clean. It’s not like grading services will scan and carbon date every speck of dust to make sure its original dust from 1892 instead of garden soil from the 1960's because your granddad buried the coins when he was a kid. At the end of the day, it come back to what’s one is willing to pay to acquire something, one man trash is someone else treasure and vice versa.
For cleaning use silver tarnish, aluminum foil + baking soda + salt +boiling water. Otherwise, ultrasonic cleaner with warm water and baking soda or soap.
If covered in sticky grease or has honey on it? I wash my pocket change and collector coins if that. Mostly I don't expect a 100+ year old coin to look brand new. A nice unc. that set in a drawer all it's life is nice and a circ. coin that you has little wear on the details but has tone or tarnish is ok today. I like encapsulated proof coins and some worn coins with detail and patina too. A heavily worn coin that lacks surface detail but shines like a new dime? Out of place and at best it is nice bullion to collect for bullion. Just me though.
I think it is how you clean. In France some cleaning ladies cleaned a rare painting as the owners couldn’t afford the cost. The picture was of course ruined.
Removing dirt and grease is a good idea and acetone and even hot acetone in a ultra sound should be Ok.
But acids, baking soda, or rubbing the surface could ruin a coin.
I bought one coin from a friend who cleaned it before I could tell him not too and it looks horrible.
The problem is improper cleaning rounds off square sections and this can never be righted.
White vinegar & Baking Soda work great.. also Extra Virgin Olive Oil works better than anything I've tried and I've tried everything.. and I've cleaned more than 20,000 coins sooo..
@@jfryer485 what about a soft old toothbrush? I use it to remove dirt from an antique piastre and noted zero new scratches of any sort. now I can see the toning that's there
@@ipokesu Yes, a possibility. The thing is using anything that lifts off the metal will leave a cleaned coin look that is impossible to miss and impossible to redeem to its original worn but authentic look.
I got a coin today dating to 1902 in decent condition but you can see where someone has gone over it with a cloth causing the highlights to gleam but now a cleaned coin looking very strange and much better left where the same toning was all over.
Old coins kept in wood cabinets develop a distinctive toned look.
Today with modern plastic capsules a coin can be 50 years old and still looking like it was minted yesterday.
I have a 200 year coin so toned it is difficult to see the design but to dip and clean so it looks like it was minted yesterday would destroy 200 years of toning.
Sad but an extreme example and I have cleaned version which shows the details clearly but is clearly artificial.
Tough decisions but apart from lifiting off dirt this is the limit, taking off toning is easy but destroys its numismatic value completely.
I got some of this stuff from CoinGuy, it did virtually nothing to my Constitutional silver that had been in the ground. I suppose I could dip some old silver bars that I have from the 1970s. ~DisneyArtistGirl
And the key to it is drying the coin you have to dry it good or it will damage it even more so if you have a blow dryer with hot setting use it to dry coins really good
Dipping is fine IF used properly!
You have been seriously blessing us with all these coin guy videos lately!
It’s extra work on my part but I enjoy it too
@@Spegtacular just an honest common sense guy. I hope he makes a buck or two as he works and deserves it. Nice he has a job he likes.
I Thankyou. There’s some old peace and morgan coins that are kinda gross that I’d love to clean! Also some old foreign coins that probably aren’t worth anything but I’d sure like them to be pretty.
I personally would buy a nice looking cleaned coin over a toned coin.Some collectors prefer toned coins,I don't.I believe it's a preference.Always buy what you like,what appeals to you.
E-zest is very handy for getting a touch of tarnish off a proof silver from within the last few decades that you want to put in a capsule. literally impossible to tell as opposed to an aged circulated coin. Also if you want your generic junk silver to have some shine for fun.
Great topic- A big thanks to YOU for great content and COIN GUY for being coin guy!
Funny Video, Speg. Everybody has heard the "don't clean coins" rule and yet I don't think I've ever met a serious longtime coin collector who hasn't at least tried various methods to clean at least some "junk" coins.
Great Video, Yes Never Clean Your Coins By Dipping But Things Such As Your Troy Piece's Are Different And Not Gonna Lose It's Value. 🤘 * My
Opinion * 😇
The Coin Guy has an awesome gold ring . The money sign $!
Do you know where the dollar sign came from? Put the letters US on top of each other. Cool, huh?
Just got a bottle in but haven't used it yet. Prior I had gotten a lot of coin albums & pages only I decided to start googling album names & so forth. Sadly I learned they were nearly all containing PVC/VINYL. I did not even get a chance to store one darn coin when I found that out but....when I started seeing images of PVC damage I quickly realized something. Last year, I had purchased some Benjamin & Walking halves at the local pawn store. I asked the guy why they were so sticky & he stated he didn't know. I went ahead and got them thinking maybe it was honey or something and later I soaked them in water. But the sticky was still there. Then I was looking at them under a loop and I saw a pretty blue green spot here or there in little crevices & I just put them all away as I had no clue what that was. I know now so I bought the bottle of E Z est to try and remove those spots as from what I read PVC will invade the rest of your silver if you put those damaged coins with your other silver. I pray I put those halves in a tube but I haven't had a chance to look yet. I sure don't want that spreading. Maybe you could do a video on good albums for world coins, dollars, halves and such and what album pages are safe. Still learning but I definitely would like to acquire some albums that won't hurt the coins.
I’ll tell Guy so can bring up in another video
You'll want to dip in acetone and clean with a Q-tip to remove the green without further damage to the coin.
Rinsing the coins in a solvent like acetone will take the stickum off and not affect the metal at all. The stickum is the plasticizers used in the PVC to keep it flexible that has leached out of the plastic.
I use an aluminum foil lined bowl and sodium bicard. I add the coin to the bowl and pour boiling water in the bowl. It's cleans the coin instantly. And no rub marks or polishing.
Thanks!
Another awesome video… Learned a thing or two on how to identify a clean coin. Good morning my friend as it is approaching 9:07 AM here where I’m at in Seattle. Have a great and wonderful day my friend!
I used vinegar on a bunch of dumped coins from a console of a car, found under an oak tree. Had to break apart from being stuck on some. Must have been 10 years living in that car for them.
I use it as well. Is that wrong?
I think the e z est is pronounced like Easiest
Try to never miss a video from you. Especially with coin guy!
I try to never miss a comment from you!
Great video I have been stashing any coins that I would get in my pocket that were 1970 or older about 12 years ago. I have since amassed a tidy little collection over time without really trying. I recently started going through and categorizing all the various dates and came upon some coins that looked like they were in really nice condition. Specifically a 1960 d penny and a 54 and 55 as well. They had a little dirt and grime on the surfaces so I used some warm water and a little dish soap and dipped a soft cloth into it and put the coins between my thumb and forefinger and agitated them gently. I didn’t use any acidic chemicals or abrasive cleaning etc. after I dried them I was blown away by the shine and reflection on the surface. They look like someone sprayed a coat of lacquer on them and the colors and tones are amazing. I can’t find a scratch or ding anywhere on the 1960 and it shows a beautiful golden color and I can’t believe it was in circulation for 60 plus years,same thing with the 54 and 55. After I did this I find out you’re not supposed to clean them but I can’t see how I did any harm to them. Should I bother getting them looked at by someone who can tell me if they have any value? I think the 60 is a proof or SMS but I don’t have the knowledge to make that assessment. Thanks again for the great video 👍
Great information and a treat to see Coin Guy. Thanks, Speg.
Thanks for watching, Silver Gopher!
Thanks! I handled the silver rounds quite a bit and was worried i'd damaged them. After reading up and finding out I'll just get spot price either way I dont see the problem. Not for numismatic coins obviously since those are supposed to be worth more than the raw metal.
Thanks for the informative video. I've never tried it with coins, but I cleaned some silver plate silverware by boiling it in water with aluminum foil. I don't know why it works but it worked very well to remove the tarnish. I don't think this method would damage or physically alter a coin.
Thanks for watching, Aaron!
I love cleaning 90 percent junk silver.
So satisfying.....
Thank you for the experiment and a clear understanding! No hate here! ❤
Great vid, this will save some headaches and $$$ I don't think that it's ok for NGC etc to clean coins and not state that it was professionally cleaned Or "conserved" as that is misleading and goes against the whole idea of Don't Clean Your Coins 🤣
I couldn’t agree more
Yeah..what if they clean it and mess your coins up.... and just tell you that your coin was already cleaned underneath.
@@rickt.1870 true statement.
I can see "cleaning" as a preservation by the removal of oils and contaminants from handling. Soap and water should do that fine. But using a chemical that has an effect on the metals surface is not preserving it's state. Whether your for it or against it, you can't argue that it doesn't have a physical effect on the count itself.
All my Constitutional Silver purchased for stacking get a good washing. My heirs will receive beautiful silver.
Stacked coins are sorted and stored by general grades, AU, fine to x fine, good to v good, culls.
Any of my coins with added numismatic value do NOT get a washing.
Playing with my coins is fun.
Great video! Watched almost every one you made. I love the coin guy, he is great. Looking forward to more videos. Very educational for all stackers and collectors
I had bought an AU 53 coin in an NGC slab. I thought the grade was low so I took it out and sent it in for regrade. It came back cleaned. :D
My mistake was trying to fool them. If I left it in the slab and just requested that grade or higher I might have just got the coin back as is.
So moral of the story is that "cleaned" is very subjective, even with a coin graded twice by the same service.
I still say no cleaning my dad said it isn't cleaning if you use natural stuff like a lemon cleans it great but so does the wire brush on dremmel tool DONT CLEAN YOUR COINS
Yes you would have got it back in its original slab. Crazy eh?
Yeah, I just sent an ANACS slabbed gold coin to PCGS for a crossover grade. ANACS put it at AU55, but PCGS claimed it had been cleaned. Professional grading is just one big guessing game.
@@casanofrankenstein I find graders in some cases to be suspicious and not reliable. I'd rather sell as is, and let the buyer decide to grade it or not,as long as it's silver or gold, that's all you need to worry about!
The old PVC has plasticizers in it to keep the plastic flexible, but the plasticizers (phthalates) leach out over time and get on coins or bills. It's hard to find bill sleeves that aren't made of PVC. I bought a set recently that are made of archival mylar.
I really liked that dragon after you double dipped it.
I've seen a quick one-second dip work wonders on getting rid of cloudy surfaces on proof coins. Maybe in the future if my common proofs do that, I'd consider it.
I agree that there's different kind of cleaning. Abrasive cleaning is IMHO a total no go. If you're only on to getting the gunk of a coin you can come a long way rinsing it in acetone and/or kerosene depending of gunk type some types of gunk can be removed using either and honestly kerosene is way better for your health as it's releasing a lot less toxic fumes. Then put it in an ultrasonic cleaner. Coin will come out completely clean but with no abrassion. Whether or not grading companies will classify such a coin as cleaned I don't know. There's probably some qualities of coins in which case you could clean it using that method and then put it in your pocket for a day to pick up ever so slight dirt before sending it in for grading. It'll be no doubt much prettier than before but is it then considered cleaned? Oh well I don't bother too much. As long as it's not abrasively cleaned / polished or cleaned using corosive chemicals. Neither acetone nor kerosene is corosive.
The only type of cleaning I have used in recent decades is ultrasound, and even then, judiciously. I have found it good for getting fingernail polish off, even permanent marker.
I mean, I took his advice, bought painted platinum for under price, soaked in acetone, cotton swabbed away the gunk, put into round holders; now they’re worth $25 more & you can’t even notice
If it is painted? I want a discount. I am lazy and would prefer to do nothing. It would be rare for me to have a coin with so much grease and crap on it that I would clean it. But for a big enough discount on the precious metal??? Maybe.
Yup. People collect metal because metal is attractive. Paint is for stuff that will rust.
copper doesnt dip well but for silver and silver value only coins it works well if done correctly
Spring Hill, Florida...WOW!
1989 Springstead graduate here. Haven't been back in about 25 years.
He’s correct back in the days a lot of museum and overseas collectors had tendency to wipe their coins off with a rag …. I myself collect a lot German coins, collectors overseas used to keep coins in coin cabinets … a lot old old coinage is riddled with hairline scratches from them wiping with rags … guess back then not everyone was looking at coins under loupe and being picky about it like today collectors are ….
Fun video, I would prefer to know if I was buying a coin that was cleaned. I purchased a coin from a solicitor and sent it out to be graded many years ago. The MS66 coin I purchased came back from PCGS Cleaned-XF. I was scammed or they really didn't know. Either way, that was my introduction to Cleaned Coins. Thumbs up
Tip for complete junky coins you dont care about messing up - use GOJO or similar pumice orange hand scrub...will create some hairline scratches. But I got a jar of clad modern quarters from an old house we cleaned out that were absolutely disgusting, this cleaned them up like a charm. I wouldn't use for any silver or gold or anything with numismatic value, but good for just cleaning up modern junk coins
Great video great topic as a new collector i Apriciate this video saved me from buying cleaned coins i been warned before but i didn't k ow people would use a wire brush that's nutz
I wipe mine down with a micro fiber once when I find my coins. Some coins look better cleaned and some look better left alone. They clean and restore timeless and priceless paintings so why can't they do the same with things they want to persevere. Coins are a mystery cause it's always someone telling you not to send in for grading to not clean and then not to look for anything but what someone else tells you. I collect for myself its a great hobby and past time. Money isn't why I collect or follow every word I hear. One thing I've noticed is all these CZcams videos of coins selling for astronomical amounts but never any highlights about the person who found or purchased the coin and the process involved in the stars aligning for the sale or auction. Now that would highlight coins in a better way. Rather than someone telling you your coins worthless and then trying aquire so they can do what you should have done. Love coin hunting and keeping my finds while learning
The rule never to clean is really intended for numb-nuts who will get out the metal polish and completely wreck otherwise valuable coins.
Everyone has to try it once. I did it with an old English penny that was perhaps 80 years old and black with grime. I polished it up to a nice rose colour. Could see at once it was a disastrously bad move. 1 coin completely wrecked. A lesson for life. Total value lost about 5 pence, which was nothing even for a 12 year old. Will get my son to do the same when he reaches that age.
The spot on the round is where you were holding it. Make sure to hold coins by the edges. The E-Z-est doesn’t get to the areas where the coin is held and it often will eliminate having to dip twice.
It worked for me when I was practicing on coins I only wanted to make more attractive.
A 2-cent coin from Argentina, minted in 1939... Some 10-cent coins from more recent series (1992, 2006 or 2009) treated with acetic acid from spirit vinegar, change their color from silvery yellow to slightly coppery. Although others retain it after the action of the acid... But most of the rust is removed except when the damage is done
Thanks for your brilliant ideas how to clean dirty coins !
I like using ezest for my coins for my collection that I love to look at. I'm not selling my collection and they are mine. I do think that TPG companies provide "refurbish" services are somewhat hypocritical because they are using some kind of chemical to refurbish. Great video all in all!!
I "moderately" clean my junk silver. If it's a heavy coin (half-dollar or better), I just throw it in the silverware tray of the dishwasher, That takes off a layer of grime without stripping the coin - and it keeps my hands from smelling like 1952 after handling the coins.
If my wife only knew what I've put through the dishwasher.. Jeep parts, circuit boards.. the list goes on and on
@@captainsergeant My dish washer will hold 1 whole mag wheel.
Great video. I think cleaning for your own enjoyment of coins in your collection is a great idea. I have some steelies and other wheeties that were gifted to me I wouldn't part with I would consider dipping
You and Coin Guy make a great team.
What do you think about ultrasonic cleaning? I used warm soapy water in an ultrasonic cleaner for some coins covered in oil and dirt. It definitely got rid of the oil and grime.
Ultrasonic cleaning of coins is a gently soft solution to get rid of some grease, dust or crusted dirt. If you only use watr and some soap it is fine. Never use chemical solvents.
I, too, wanted an answer to this question. Logically, there seems little reason to object if there are no harsh chemicals in the bath. I do wonder if the tub that holds the liquid should be lined so the coin doesn't vibrate directly against metal. I considered microfiber cloth, but rejected that. Instead I'm going to try a coat of silicone brushed up the sides of the vat. It may separate due to vibration, but I think it could still work.
@@creesenebeker5686 I am new to coin collecting. Recently purchased a small ultrasonic cleaner for jewelry, eyeglasses and coins. Using it with an ultrasonic cleaning solution it definitely removes the dirt without changing the toning. The ultrasonic cleaner has a plastic basket. Many of the coins look the same after the ultrasonic bath but when you see the solution after removing the basket of coins its obvious the dirt is removed... safely. Oh yeah and using an old cotton t-shirt or a can of compressed air to dry the coin immediately.
The tarnish that remained is on both sides of the coin. I looked closely, and that's where you were pinching it when you submerged it. You should have held it with a pair of tweezers to ensure that 100% of it was exposed to the chemical.
He rubbed it with his fingers and moved the coin around. The entire surface was exposed to the chemical.
I have zero reservation In buying cleaned coins. You get a beautiful coin cheaper. I don't collect for the value, I collect for the history.
I tone them on the window ledge in the Philippines. 6 months; 100 years of toning! The air is full of diesel, UV rays, and humidity in a hot sun. Great for copper that was cleaned
You hit the nail in the head in the last minute. TPGs clean them and then grade them as is ok. Any one else do the same and get genuine details, cleaned or questionable color,Why? because they one the expensive conservation business and also they cover their bases by not gradding by error a possible doctored coin, so at the slightest hint of cleaning they will labeled as such just in case. I believe a coin should always have a grade no matter what, if is cleaned then deduct the points because of that but grade the coin nonetheless.
I wouldn't do it myself, but my friend is as good at cleaning coins as the grading companies, they never spot it (though he made some very expensive errors while learning how to do it!).
It's a old shiner's trick the acid in the ketchup makes the copper shine like new. Shiner's use it cuz it's cheap and no after taste of chemicals which can happen.
That’s why I eat my coins with mustard and not catsup, it doesn’t have that nasty chemical taste.
@@srobertweiser that works too but I like mustard so not gonna waste it haha.
Always enjoy your collaborative videos. Thank you.
Thanks for watching, NC Farmer!
I buy only culled Morgan and Peace dollars and I clean them. I use salt, baking soda and boiling water in an aluminum pie pan. Just set them in there, add a few tablespoons of salt and baking soda. Boil for a few minutes, spoon on some extra baking soda, boil alittle longer, then let the water cool and then rinse. Most come out very shiny, some will need scrubbing, but I only using my hands with the solution.
I prefer the coins look like they did back when they were minted, not dirty. I would not do that to collectible/numismatic coins, but culls are fair game. I buy for the silver content and look of the coins.
I got a great deal on a 1921 peace dollar that was in really good shape the only stipulation was that it was very very dirty and kind of gross you could barely even tell the date, so I used some ms 70 on a q tip and was careful and it cleaned up beautifully it's very nice coin now
Sure do enjoy your videos I'll learn a lot from you, keep up the good work.
Thanks for your support, Erwin!
Hello there, I am very grateful for your video. I am new to coin collecting and have no idea what to do with them. The ones I recently inherited from my grandfather are of interest to me. However, they were all kept in a few boxes. I sincerely appreciate your time studying and help in relation to giving me a jumping off point to start learning.
Ahh, Great episode Speg, cleaning is a tender subject, but if done correctly it will make a bad looking coin fit for any collection. Now for that liberty head large penny, that green stuff is called bronze disease, and yes if your coin has that then its a goner, if you dont remove it, now there are a couple of ways to remove it, one most popular way is from the ancient coin collectors and that soaking it in distilled water for up month, changing water periodically and hopefully it will come loose when pick at, but in most cases a coin with that much bronze disease there's only 2 ways to deal with it in my opinion, 1. Dont' do nothing to the coin, and have it consumed by it over time. (ps. keep it away from other copper or bronze coins it will spread to them) and 2. What I call "Fire scaling", its a technique that I created (I think I did) and perfected, to save bronze diseased coins, and it will destroy the numismatic properties of the coin, (but it didnt have any in the first place). What I do is I fire the coin with a butane torch, until it is red hot, and quench in water, this will burn every bit of the bronze disease away, along with any dirt, grime, pvc damage, and surface corrosion into carbon dust, then I take a fiberglass pencil and in small circular motions, abrading away the burnt material, then I past a fine steel wool pencil (Andres pencils) in the same manner, and lastly I buff the surface of the coin with a non abrasive metal polish cream by hand using a cotton swab, now if this last step is taken to far then the coin will look polished, so this step is very crucial to understand and stop at the right moment. Now I understand that most people are taught not to clean their coins, and leave it alone, but we have to understand that if left alone the coin will be eaten and the bronze disease will spread to other coins, but this technique is only done in dire circumstances, to save your coin and collection. The first coin I've done was my own 1806 Great Britain George III half Penny, it hurt me at first to do it, because it had this beautiful chocolate brown patina, but it was pitted, corroded, and had bronze disease, so I decided to save it, and after firing I reapplied the patina using Jax patina in brown, I was very happy with the results, then my second coin was a 1863 Great Britain Victorian Penny, and she was in bad shape, pitted, corrosion, lots of bronze disease, so I fired her as well, and she came out gorgeous, but this time I left it unpatinated, and leaving her to brown on her own over the years. Sorry for the lengthy comment but I thought I should share my work and techniques with others, so we can save our once unsaveable coins, and preserves our collection. Thanks speg for what you do and Thanks to Guy for his knowledge. Keep stacking and collecting my friend.
Thx for a great video and informative article 👍
That’s what I do! I appreciate you watching.