Should You Clean Old Coins?
- Arthur Estill
- Jan 20
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
(And Why It Usually Hurts Value)
One of the most common questions people ask after inheriting coins or finding an old collection is:
“Should I clean these before selling them or having them evaluated?”
The honest answer, in most cases, is:
No. Cleaning old coins usually hurts their value — sometimes dramatically.
Even though it feels natural to want coins to look bright and shiny, cleaning is one of the fastest ways to permanently reduce what they’re worth.
Why People Want to Clean Coins
Most coins that come out of drawers, jars, or old collections are:
Tarnished
Darkened
Dirty
Or just dull-looking
To most people, this looks like “grime” that should be removed. But in the coin world, that surface is part of the coin’s history and authenticity.
The Big Problem: Cleaning Damages the Surface
Coins have very fine surface details that:
You often can’t see with the naked eye
Are critical to collectors and grading
When you clean a coin, you almost always:
Create microscopic scratches
Remove original surface metal
Destroy the coin’s natural patina and luster
Once that happens:
The damage is permanent. You cannot undo it.
How Cleaning Affects Value
In many cases:
A naturally aged coin might be worth hundreds or thousands
The same coin, once cleaned, might be worth a fraction of that — sometimes only its metal value
Collectors and dealers will almost always:
Choose an original, dirty coin over a cleaned one.
Why? Because a cleaned coin is considered damaged.
“But It Looks Better Now…”
This is the hardest part for people to accept.
To the untrained eye:
A cleaned coin often looks better
Brighter
Shinier
“Newer”
To experienced collectors:
It looks unnatural
Stripped
Altered
And much less desirable
In the coin world:
Original is king.
What About Just Rinsing with Water?
Even “gentle” cleaning is risky.
Rubbing, wiping, or brushing — even lightly — can leave marks
Chemicals, dips, and polishes almost always do damage
If a coin has loose dirt, the safest approach is usually:
Do nothing until a professional look at it.
A Common Estate Sale Reality
At Afternoon Estate Sales, we often see collections where some coins were cleaned years ago and others were left alone. Almost without exception, the original, untouched coins are the more valuable ones, even if they look darker or less attractive at first glance. We see this often during estate liquidations, which is why many families rely on our Dallas estate sale company to properly evaluate coins, jewelry, and collectibles before anything is sold.
Are There Any Exceptions?
There are rare situations where:
A very low-value coin
Or a coin with active, destructive corrosion
Might need professional conservation.
But this is not the same as cleaning, and it should only be done by experts who know how to preserve value.
The Safer Rule to Follow
If you think a coin might have any value at all, do not clean it.
Have it:
Looked at
Sorted
Identified
And evaluated first
You can always clean a coin later. You can never un-clean one.
How This Fits into the Bigger Coin Picture
If you’re also trying to sort through coins and figure out which ones might be silver, see:
For a broader overview of how coins are evaluated, see:
Final Thought
Cleaning coins feels helpful, but in most cases, it destroys value rather than adds it. Collectors want originality, not shine. If you’re unsure what you have, the safest and smartest move is to leave coins exactly as you found them until they’ve been properly evaluated.
That one decision alone can make a very large difference in the final value of a collection.
