How Do You Clean Metal Detected Coins?
Using a metal detector to find buried old coins can be a lucrative hobby, but before you can take your coins to a coin dealer and sell them, you will have to clean them off well enough that you can tell what type of coin you have found. Most coin experts recommend against chemically cleaning old coins, but at the very least, you will want to clean the dirt away from any coins that you have found with a metal detector. Rub as much of the dirt and grime off of your metal detected coins as you can with your thumb and pointer finger. Identify the types of coins you have found as well as possible at this point. Try to determine the country of origin, denomination, date and mint mark by examining the faces of the coins. Look up the values of your coins in a coin price guide. Do not chemically clean any particularly valuable coins. Cleaning coins will almost always lower their value. Soak clad, silver and copper coins in a drinking glass full of warm soapy water or vinegar for five minutes. R
