Many beginning collectors feel tempted to clean older coins. Proper care is important for protecting a collection, but actually cleaning a coin may lower the value it retains.
What Makes Coins Valuable?
A coin’s age, historical importance, and availability can all influence its value. In addition, the grade of the coin, meaning its condition, is another consideration. Coins receive grades on a 70-point scale. That grade is mainly determined by the amount of wear or handling, the strike’s quality, and any apparent flaws or changes. Metal composition also helps establish numismatic and base value. For example, coins made from gold or platinum generally carry more value than pieces made from copper, bronze, or steel.
Why Collectors Shouldn’t Clean Old Coins
Rare coins should always be handled with care, yet a coin that has been cleaned is often worth less than the same coin left unwashed. When investors clean coins, they may risk the following outcomes:
- Taking away part of the coin’s original finish and toning
- Causing noticeable scratches and marks across the coin
- Erasing small features that help identify a rare coin
- Making coins ineligible for grading, which may make appraisal more difficult. Some cleaned coins may still be certified, but they receive a qualifier that can alter the coin’s value by two or three grades, or potentially even more.
Leaving a coin in its original state is usually the better approach. Cleaning a valuable coin means accepting a risk that its value may be affected.
Buy and Sell Rare Coins at Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers
When this article was originally published, Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers said it could assist both newer collectors and experienced investors with its knowledge and experience. The article reported secure locations in Johns Creek and Atlanta for customers. It also stated that the business took pride in providing fair, transparent appraisals for valuable coins and bullion. Readers who wanted to learn what their coins were worth were invited at publication to call (404) 236-9744.
