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How to Clean Coins with Olive Oil

The decision to clean coins should not be taken lightly. If you do not know the value of the coin, it is best to store it in a safe place and avoid getting fingerprints on it until it can be identified. Cleaning coins decreases their value, sometimes as much as 90 percent. Dealers and collectors want coins that are in their natural preserved state. Many cleaners can damage the coins at microscopic levels, invisible to the naked eye. Once you have determined that the coin is not rare and cleaning it is inconsequential, using olive oil is one of the safest and easiest ways to proceed.

Things You'll Need

Olive oil
Toothbrush
Dish soap

Instructions

- 1
  Run the coins under warm water for at least a minute to dislodge loose dirt and debris.
- 2
  Separate the coins by metal--silver, bronze, gold. It is not as effective to soak different types of metals together.
- 3
  Place the coins in a bowl. You may need several bowls depending on how many different types of metals you have.
- 4
  Pour enough olive oil into the bowl to cover the coins completely. Virgin olive oil will not work as well.
- 5
  Allow the coins to soak for at least two weeks. They can soak longer and this will not harm them.
- 6
  When the coins look shiny, remove them from the bowls, and wash them in warm soapy water, using the toothbrush bristles to clean the coins.
- 7
  Pat the coins dry with a soft clean dry towel.

Coin Collecting