COIN CARE BASICS

Coin Care 101

The number one most important rule about coins, Never Clean a Coin! Never dip, polish, tarn-ex, whiz, sand, scrape, eraser, or any other form of cleaning. Cleaning coins damages them and dramatically reduces the value. Coins, especially silver coins look a lot nicer when you remove the natural patina, it’s a huge no-no. Dipping or polishing silver and copper coins removes a layer of metal and potentially changes the chemical composition of the external layers, damaging the coins. Collectors don’t want damaged coins.

Washing Coins

If you have a coin that has a lot of dirt and grime what can you do? Warm water.. then rinse in more water. After letting the coin soak for a bit remove the coin and gently pat dry with a very soft cloth. Then let it air dry before tucking it back away.

Storing Coins

There are several types of storage available for lose coins. We use capsules, tubes and 2×2 flips. when buying these types of containers be sure to get PVC free. PVC causes a chemical reaction with silver and copper coins, which causes residual deposits to appear on the coin’s edges and surface. All of our products are guaranteed to be PVC free.

Photographing Coins

Here are the basics, you need to buy a Good Camera and a Great Lens. We have spent thousands, on cheap cameras and accessories attempting to get high quality coin photos. After years of trying to get this right, we have recently invested in the correct equipment. Save yourself the time, money and frustration and do it right from the start. This is what you need, a decent DSLR Camera with a Great 105mm Micro/Macro Lens, a Copy Stand minimum 28in with adjustable light fixtures and good photo editing software. You can get a decent set up for under $2500.00. We are now using a Nikon D5300 camera body with a Nikon AF-S VR 105mm Micro-NIKKOR lens set up on a High Load 28″ Copy Macro Stand. We are using 2 75w Flood lights positioned very close to the Camera Lens.