Cleaning hammered coins

[Clevians]

Hi what's everyone's best way to clean the black off of hammered silver coins please?

[Liam Reynolds]

A lot of people would say don't clean, that patina has taken hundreds off years to develop, and if the coin is worth money, you take away value.

However, if it is to lift some detail, some spit and tin foil will clean up the raised parts whilst leaving some age on it. I did a little bit with this Lizzy threepence.

I for one don't want a spotlessly clean coin, it's like erasing the history.

[TheFenTiger]

Over cleaning hammered leaves them really shiny and unnatural in my view and renders them pretty much worthless for collectors if you look to sell them in the future. At the end of they day they are yours / the landowners so you can do what you like with them. There have been some pictures recently where people have cleaned them with citric acid leaving them bright and shiny but each to their own.

[Liam Reynolds]

I agree- they're your coins at the end of the day and not everyone has a view to selling. Aesthetically though, you'd think most people would like something old to look that way rather than cleaned and shiny.

[Easylife]

I know someone who polishes them up all shiny and they look awful. I just add some highlights with spit and foil, then a quick rinse.

[Easylife]

I did a little bit with this Lizzy threepence.

Nicely done and great detail.

[Liam Reynolds]

Nicely done and great detail.

Thanks subtlety is definitely the way to go, keep the aged look but pick out the details carefully.

Not sure why anyone wants them completely shiny, but each to their own I guess.

[Oxgirl]

Depends what condition they are. If very heavily encased in brown residue, for example, then I prefer a bit of electrolysis. In 90% of cases though I just leave them as they are or, if very dark, just gently rub a pencil eraser over the surface to lift the raised detail. It does a similar thing to the spit and foil technique and leaves the patina untouched.

[Allectus]

Gonna need some pics!

[Charles Abbeyville]

A lot of people would say don't clean, that patina has taken hundreds off years to develop, and if the coin is worth money, you take away value.

However, if it is to lift some detail, some spit and tin foil will clean up the raised parts whilst leaving some age on it. I did a little bit with this Lizzy threepence. 387842126_10159164766161300_1301303989133357502_n.jpg

I for one don't want a spotlessly clean coin, it's like erasing the history.

I reckon that's the perfect finish, shows the details very well. Wish they would all look as good as that

[Liam Reynolds]

I reckon that's the perfect finish, shows the details very well. Wish they would all look as good as that

To be fair, it came out of the ground a nice even tone, just a little bit of foil treatment to lift the details. I wish they all came out as well too

[Englishprospector]

im with everyone on this a lil tin foil just so you can get the details but thats it i did use electrolysis on a roman tho but it was caked

[Ancient]

No need to use spit with tin foil to remove tarnish from oxidisation. You can just use water. Not sure how that became the standard.

[figgis]

No need to use spit with tin foil to remove tarnish from oxidisation. You can just use water. Not sure how that became the standard.

Man after me own heart! I've been touting that for years but people seem to prefer gobbing into foil, so I gave up