Why Not To Clean Silver Coins

Morgan Dollar

Let me start off by saying that most coin dealers and coin collectors do not recommend cleaning your silver coins at all. Appearance means a lot to some people because they want the coins to be exhibited with the best look possible. Although this is an admirable quality, it can have some consequences if you clean your silver coin collection. Before you decide to clean any of your silver coins, please be fully aware of the reasons of why you should not clean your coins by reading this article in its entirety.

There are many reason why cleaning your silver coins are not a good idea. Even the most careful cleaning has the potential to damage your coins. During the cleaning process the coins can lose some of their value. The loss of value can be attributed to scratching or damaging of the silver coin. In some cases the coin can become completely worthless because of a cleaning. So if you absolutely feel like your silver coins must be cleaned, take them to a professional with experience.

Peace Dollar

Some people might actually think the tarnish on their silver coins is unsightly, but the opposite is true. The tarnish on a silver coin is in fact referred to as toning. The toning on silver coins can be seen as brown or black spots, and sometimes even appear as a rainbow or iridescent hue.  Toning occurs over time as a result of environmental factors and natural oxidation from being exposed to the air. Many coin collectors consider silver coins with eye-catching toning to be quite attractive and consider them more valuable. As a result, one of these collectors will often pay more for one of these silver coins.

The toning on your silver coins helps establish the validity and authenticity of the coin. It shows that the coin has age and is genuine. If you clean a silver coin it will remove the toning, along with some of its value because it will lose its allure to another coin collector. Cleaning the toning from the silver coin also has the potential to harm the surface of the coin, which will lessen the worth of the coin overall.

Walking Liberty Half Dollar

Many times, chemicals are mistakenly used to clean coins. These chemicals are usually harsh, and can typically ruin the silver coin altogether because of the scuffs and abrasions the chemicals can produce. Chemicals will not only take away toning, but also remove the mint luster of the coin. Also try to stay away from metal polishes. Most times, these types of polishes are not meant for silver coins at all. Any or all these things can drastically lower the grade of your silver coin.

 Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery is located at 640 South Washington Blvd. Sarasota , FL 34236 just north of the 301 and 41 split. They can be contacted by telephone at 941-366-2191 or 800 447-8778 for questions or to place a coin order. With over 40 years of experience, Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery can assist you with any of your coin collecting needs!

Tips on Spotting Counterfeit Coins

Collecting coins, or numismatics, is more than a hobby these days, it is a huge industry involving several different businesses. Some of these include dealers, grading services, professional numismatic photography, auctions, collectors and more. As with any business, there are those who are unethical and try to make money by forging valuable historic coins or rare coins . The best way to prevent this from happening is to become aware of the techniques the forgers use to trick people.

Counterfeiters have developed more skills in forging historic coins. The methods of forging coins have become more advanced and can even sometimes fool dealers and collectors. One of the main problems is that once a type of counterfeit coin is detected and taken out of the market, another forgery is there to take its place. With forgeries constantly evolving it is extremely important to stay educated and continue learning about new methods of counterfeiting rare coins and other types of coins like gold coins and silver coins.

Coins That Have Been Cast

Fake coins that have been cast usually have a distinctive seam where the metal covering the coin meets up. Also look for pits on the exterior of the coins. These pits are from air bubbles getting trapped during the process of the metal solidifying. If the coin is a silver coin or gold coin, check the weight. The wrong weight is a solid indicator that the coin is a forgery. Check the details of the coin, if they appear extremely dull and have the absence of sharpness than it could be a counterfeit. In recent years, forgers have tried to eliminate the pitting and air bubbles with putting the coins through a centrifugal casting procedure. Fortunately even after this procedure the coin will most likely be the wrong weight and have that distinctive seam.

Coins That Have Been Altered

It has become common for counterfeiters to attempt to alter a legitimate, genuine coin. Most likely, the forger will alter or modify the coin so that it appears to be more rare than it actually is. Of course the end goal of this type of forgery is to misrepresent the coin and charge more money then it is truly worth. The best way to combat this type of counterfeiting is a close examination of the suspect coin. Under magnification is one of the most reliable ways to spot a forgery of this type.

Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery has over 40 years of experience as a full service coin dealer. Call (941) 366-2191 or (800) 447-8778 for any questions or assistance with any type of coin or paper money! They are also available by email at Sarararecoin@aol.com