Yes, you can clean your coins, but it is highly discouraged. More coins have been ruined than improved by cleaning. If you still want to clean your coin, one substance that can be used is called e-Z-est. That product is a coin and jewelry “dip” that is excellent for Gold and Silver coins, but not for Copper coins. You can buy it from Amazon and Walmart, among other distributors. If you use e-Z-est, dip the coin into the liquid for no more than 5 seconds, rinse the coin with hot water and then dip it into alcohol to neutralize it. Cleaning coins with warm soapy water is an easy way to remove dirt from a coin but do not rub the surfaces of a coin because you might add hairlines, which will decrease the value.
Again, we caution you against cleaning or brightening any coin since you are more likely to ruin its collector value than to improve it. Shiny coins are not always more valuable than coins left in their original state. Leave cleaning, especially on more valuable coins, to the professionals who know exactly how to do it. The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) offer these services. Be careful and remember, shiny is not always better.
