How do you tell if a coin has been cleaned?

[scyther]

I've been getting a few nickels lately that look like they're in mint condition... really nice and shiny... but I wonder if they're too nice and shiny. It's happened sometimes with pennies too. I'd like to replace the ones I have in my collection with these new ones, but obviously not if they've been cleaned. So how can I tell?

[dannan14]

I've been getting a few nickels lately that look like they're in mint condition... really nice and shiny... but I wonder if they're too nice and shiny. It's happened sometimes with pennies too. I'd like to replace the ones I have in my collection with these new ones, but obviously not if they've been cleaned. So how can I tell?

Thanks for asking, i'd like an expert opinion on this question as well. One thing i can say is that when i look at a coin with my loupe sometimes i see many fairly parallel scratches. i've always assumed these were marks from cleaning with something abrasive. But what about chemical cleaners or electrolytic cleaning? i've got no idea how to tell when those methods are used.

[scyther]

I've been getting a few nickels lately that look like they're in mint condition... really nice and shiny... but I wonder if they're too nice and shiny. It's happened sometimes with pennies too. I'd like to replace the ones I have in my collection with these new ones, but obviously not if they've been cleaned. So how can I tell?

Thanks for asking, i'd like an expert opinion on this question as well. One thing i can say is that when i look at a coin with my loupe sometimes i see many fairly parallel scratches. i've always assumed these were marks from cleaning with something abrasive. But what about chemical cleaners or electrolytic cleaning? i've got no idea how to tell when those methods are used.

I've been mostly avoiding ones with that type of texture, but I recently accepted a penny like that... getting impatient with the zincs... I'm thinking maybe if it was cleaned with a brush or something, it would have a more circular/all over he place pattern of scratches. But I really don't know...

[Broseph]

If you clean a few coins yourself, you can get a good idea.

[scyther]

If you clean a few coins yourself, you can get a good idea.

How should I clean them?

[Broseph]

First off, make sure there is nothing valuable about the coin you are going to wash.
Second, try all the bad ideas that people use to clean coins. Lemon juice, vinegar, some acid soak type of cleaning.
Then you can use barkeepers friend or some baking soda and see a soak/scrub type. The scrubbing is usually gentle with soft a cloth, more of a rubbing, but can still be noticed in contrast to a normal coin.

[willy13]

vinager will leave a dull finish to a coin.

[Zincanator]

The very fine parallel scratches, sometimes only visible at a certain angle, are a give-away. Also if a coin is worn, but clean as if uncirculated, obviously somebody shined it up.