How to Clean Coins without Reducing Their Value

Do you want to make dull or dirty coins shine like they’re brand new again? Before you start scrubbing, there are a few important things you should know. For example, in the case of rare and valuable coins, cleaning can actually decrease their value. Luckily, we’ve consulted numismatics experts Max Hockley and Dean Kinzer for the full breakdown on when it’s acceptable to clean your dirty coins and how to do it. Keep reading to find the best household hacks for cleaning coins, and what you should do differently if they’re antique collectibles.

Note: If you suspect your coin has any possible value, do not clean it unless an appraiser recommends it. You risk damaging it or lowering its value otherwise.

How should you clean coins?

Numismatics expert Max Hockley says cleaning coins lowers their value, so only do it if you know your coin isn’t valuable. Hold the coin under running water to remove surface dirt. Add some dish soap and gently scrub away caked-on dirt with your fingers, or use a soft brush and baking soda. Pat dry.

Section 1 of 4:

How to Clean Collectible Coins

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Make sure your coin is not rare or valuable before trying to clean it. Hockley says it’s essential to get your coin appraised before you attempt to clean it. “To a novice or somebody who’s not involved in coin collection, they associate shiny with good condition, but that’s not how coin collectors actually see it,” says Hockley. When an old coin is created at a factory, it has a mint luster, which is the layer of shine that results from the coin being struck at the mint with different dies and polishes. Cleaning the coin strips this away, which actually causes the coin to decrease in value, Hockley explains.^{[1]
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- “When you clean it, you strip away all that mint luster and all of the patina that non-collectors would look at as dirt, but really it’s toning that’s layered on top of those coins over many, many years, and that’s something that actually gives it depth and character, which is what the collector is looking for,” says Hockley.^{[2]
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- Kinzer has similar advice when it comes to cleaning coins: “If you’re a beginner—don’t. Just don’t. It’s easier to damage them than you think!”^{[3]
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- The bottom line: Always get your coins appraised before cleaning them, and get your coin graded, so you can properly determine its condition and value. Only proceed with cleaning if the professional determines that the coin is not valuable.
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Max Hockley is a numismatics and precious metals expert, as well as the creator of the Silverpicker YouTube channel. He has over 15 years of experience collecting coins.

Dean Kinzer is a numismatics expert, specialist in ancient coins, and the founder of Kinzer Coins, a rare ancient coin dealership and educational coin resource hub.
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Hold the coin under cold running water. If you’ve determined that your coin isn’t valuable and you want to go ahead with cleaning it, Hockley recommends holding it under running water or submerging it in a bucket of water first to get rid of surface dirt or mud. “When you rub the first off, you’re pulling whatever little rocks or little bits of sand or dirt that are trapped in that mud across the coin, and you’re going to scratch it. But if you run it under water and let it come off naturally, you’re not going to scratch it with any big particles. So that’s the first step,” Hockley explains.^{[4]
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- Be sure to plug your sink before cleaning old coins, so none of them slip down the drain.
- Set the coins on a soft towel when you’re finished rinsing them.^{[5]
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Gently wash your coin with a soapy water solution. Once you’ve gotten rid of some of the surface dirt, “You can lightly start rubbing off any caked-on dirt, trying to be careful that you’re not going to scratch anything,” Hockley says. He recommends using a little bit of mild dish soap and gently scrubbing the coin with your fingers under warm running water.^{[6]
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- If you don’t see any dirt or grime coming off your coin, let it soak for about 5 minutes before trying to scrub it again.
- Soapy water is a great solution for removing surface dirt without damaging or scratching your coins.
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If the coin is still dirty, use a soft-bristle toothbrush and baking soda. If your coin still has some stubborn, caked-on dirt after the above steps, it may need a bit more aggressive cleaning. To do this, Hockley recommends taking a toothbrush and a little bit more dish soap or baking soda and scrubbing the coin with light motions.^{[7]
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- To scrape away buildup in tight areas, gently break it apart with the end of a toothpick.
- Avoid using a toothbrush on collectible or antique coins, since it could leave behind small scratches. Just stick to rubbing soapy water onto each coin with your fingers.
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Dry off the coins with a towel. Pat each coin gently with a lint-free towel to absorb all of the moisture. Make sure that each coin is completely dry, so the metal doesn’t wear away over time.^{[8]
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- Patting the coins will allow you to avoid creating micro-scratches with the material you are wiping them with.

Section 2 of 4:

How to Clean & Remove Tarnish from Pocket Change

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Scrub pocket change with baking soda and vinegar. Dip your coins in white distilled vinegar and let them soak for about 30 seconds. Take one coin out of the vinegar at a time and immediately sprinkle a pinch of baking soda on the surface. Rub the baking soda into the face of each coin with your fingers to scrub away the dirt and grime. Then, just rinse all your coins under clean water and pat them dry.^{[9]
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- Vinegar and baking soda create a bubbling reaction that helps loosen dirt and grime.
- Baking soda is an abrasive, so it may leave scratches on your coin. Only use vinegar and baking soda on coins that aren’t valuable or collectible.
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Try cleaning copper coins in a vinegar and salt solution. Dissolve 1 tsp (7 g) of table salt in a bowl with ¼ cup (59 mL) of white distilled vinegar. Drop your coins into the mixture and let them sit for about 5 minutes. Pull the coins out of the liquid and gently wipe them with a paper towel to break apart the tarnish and dark spots.^{[10]
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- Salt and vinegar create an acidic solution that helps quickly dissolve the copper oxide spots on your coins faster than if you soaked them in water.
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Brush off tough tarnish with lemon juice and salt. Sprinkle table salt onto the surface of each coin and add a few drops of lemon juice to make a thick paste. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently scrub each of the coin’s faces for 1–2 minutes. After that, just rinse all your coins with cool water and dry them off with a soft towel.^{[11]
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- Lemon juice has citric acid that reacts with the tarnish to remove it. The added salt abrasive helps scrub the tarnish away even better.
- Since salt is really abrasive, it could leave scratches on antique or collectible coins.
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Dissolve tarnish with a hydrogen peroxide soak. Fill a small bowl with enough hydrogen peroxide to submerge your coins. Put a few of your coins into the solution at a time and let them soak for up to 24 hours so the tarnish has a chance to loosen up. Rinse your coins under cold running water when you’re finished and pat them dry with a soft towel.^{[12]
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- Hydrogen peroxide also helps sterilize and disinfect your coins.
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Let coins soak in cola to dissolve the tarnish. Fill a small cup or bowl with any type of cola and submerge your coins. Let the coins sit for at least 5 minutes before taking them out and rinsing them off. Lightly rub the surface with a paper towel to help polish your coins and make them shine again.^{[13]
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- Cola contains phosphoric acid that helps tarnish break down quickly.
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Try scrubbing your coins with ketchup. Squirt enough ketchup on each coin’s face to cover it. Work the ketchup into each coin with a soft-bristled toothbrush for about 1–2 minutes per side. When you finish scrubbing, hold your coins under running water to rinse them off.^{[14]
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- The acids in ketchup can help dissolve tarnish to help clean silver and copper coins.
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Dip coins in a commercial cleaner solution for heavy tarnish. Wear latex gloves and safety glasses when you use a cleaner solution since it’s very acidic. Hold 1 coin at a time between your fingers and submerge it in the cleaning solution for about 5 seconds. Take the coin out of the solution and immediately rinse the residue off with clean water.^{[15]
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- The acidic cleaner strips the grime and tarnish off the surface to make your coin look shiny.

Section 3 of 4:

When is it okay to clean collectible coins?

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It’s okay to clean a coin if a professional says that it isn’t valuable. “If you've already determined that the coin is not valuable, or the value that will be reduced by cleaning it is irrelevant to you, then you can clean it,” says Hockley. For example, say you have a coin that’s worth $40, but cleaning it will reduce its value to $22. “So what? You want to put it in a necklace. You want to use it as jewelry. It was your grandfather's lucky coin, and you want to put it in a frame with a picture of him. There's a million reasons why you might want to clean a coin to make it more visually appealing,” and in this case, it would be acceptable, Hockley explains.^{[16]
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- However, even if you’ve determined the coin isn’t super valuable, you may still want to take it to a professional to clean it for you, rather than trying it yourself. “There are professionals who clean coins the right way, and I’d recommend finding and learning from someone like that,” Kinzer says.^{[17]
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“There is one category of coin that is completely acceptable, even from a collector's perspective, for cleaning. And those are coins that are pulled out of the ground,” says Hockley. “If you’re a metal detectorist or a relic hunter, and you find a coin buried in your backyard [or] you find a coin at the beach, and it's corroded, and you can't even tell what it is,” these “are things that you're totally allowed to clean,” Hockley explains.^{[18]
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Section 4 of 4:

Caring for Collectible Coins

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Plan to store your coins in hard plastic holders. Set your coin inside the plastic holder and snap it closed so that nothing can get on the surface. Avoid opening the container after putting your coin away, so it doesn’t get exposed to the environment around it.^{[19]
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- You can also keep your coins in an album so you can easily look through them. If you have really valuable coins, keep them in a safe to protect them.
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Avoid handling rare or valuable American coins with your bare hands. “The oil from your fingers can tarnish the metal and change its appearance. If you leave a thumbprint on an expensive American coin, that alone can reduce its value. Those coins are expected to be pristine,” Kinzer explains.^{[20]
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- “Ancient coins, on the other hand, are expected to have wear, damage, or character. They’ve been around for 2,000 years—your fingerprints won’t be what ruins them. Some are in stunning condition, but most have seen use, and that’s part of their charm,” says Kinzer.^{[21]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How should someone clean tarnished gold?

Kennon Young
Master Gemologist Appraiser
Kennon Young is a Master Gemologist Appraiser and the Owner of Vermont Gemological Laboratory in Burlington, Vermont. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Kennon and his team specialize in handmade engagement rings, wedding bands, and custom jewelry. He attended the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, the Gemological Institute of America, and the Rhode Island School of Design Extension. He is a Jewelers of America (JA) Certified Bench Jeweler Technician and received the highest credential in the jewelry appraisal industry, the ASA Master Gemologist Appraiser, in 2016.

Kennon Young

Master Gemologist Appraiser

Expert Answer

Gold will only tarnish after 50-60 years. If you have gold that's old enough to be tarnished, removing the tarnish will most likely devalue the gold as the tarnish is showing its antiquity.

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How can I clean a really old coin?

Dean Kinzer
Numismatics Expert
Dean Kinzer is a Numismatics Expert. He is a specialist in ancient coins and is the founder of Kinzer Coins, a rare ancient coin dealership and educational coin resource hub. At Kinzer Coins, Dean has built the premier destination for authenticated ancient coins from Roman, Greek, Byzantine, and Biblical periods. Kinzer Coins’ mission is to bring history to life by connecting their clients with the legacy of ancient civilizations through authentic coins. He hosts the Ancient Coin Hour Podcast, which connects his audience directly with leading numismatists and ancient coin experts. The podcast helps listeners avoid common pitfalls while building an investment-grade collection that appreciates in both financial and historical value. Dean’s father was a numismatics expert himself, and taught Dean to recognize authentic ancient artifacts, understand their historical significance, and connect people with tangible pieces of history. He received a Master's Degree from Northern Illinois University with a Certificate in Leadership.

Dean Kinzer

Numismatics Expert

Expert Answer

Don’t try to clean ancient coins on your own at first—you’ll most likely ruin them. There are professionals who clean coins the right way, and I'd recommend finding and learning from them.

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How do you clean coins that have oxidized?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Before you do anything, remember that you should never clean coins that you think may be collectible as this can greatly devalue them. If this isn't an issue, then for oxidized pennies, you can soak them in 1/4 cup vinegar mixed with 1-2 teaspoons of salt for a few minutes. Just be sure to rinse off the vinegar with water after you've soaked them, since any remaining vinegar residue could cause the coins to oxidize again.

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