When Eye Appeal Goes Wrong
A shiny coin isn’t always a good coin. Real value comes from originality, not polish. Once a surface is stripped or buffed, the damage can’t be undone, no matter how good it looks in photos.
Cleaned vs. Natural Coins
Why Coins Lose Their Luster and How to Spot It
Real luster moves. Fake luster flashes. If you can’t tell the difference, you’re gonna overpay for cleaned coins. Here’s how luster works, how it fades, and how to spot when someone’s tried to fake it.
How to Tell Verdigris from Patina on Coins
Verdigris ruins coins. Patina protects them. If you can’t tell the difference, you’re either overcleaning or underreacting. Both will wreck your collection. Here’s how to know what you’re looking at and what to do next.
When Cleaning a Coin Is Okay (Yes, Seriously)
Everyone hears “never clean your coins,” and it’s usually the right advice. But there are a few rare situations where it actually makes sense. Here’s when to consider it and how to do it without ruining the coin.
Should You Clean Junk Coins?
If you’ve ever stared at a crusty Wheatie or grimy nickel and thought about scrubbing it clean, you’re not alone. Every collector hits that moment. This post breaks down what really happens when you clean a coin, when it might be okay, and how to do it without turning your collection into a regret pile.
Where Damage Hides: Why Coin Fields Deserve Attention
The fields of a coin are the smooth, flat areas that surround the main design. On most coins, this means the space behind the portrait on the obverse and the background around the eagle, building, or symbol on the reverse. They might look like empty space, but fields are one of the first places a…
Can You Tone Coins at Home? (And Should You?)
Yes, you can tone coins at home. It’s not hard to do, and the results can be wild. You might see golden halos, deep purples, or bursts of neon depending on the method and the type of metal. But just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should, at least not without understanding the…
Fake Toning: Pretty Coins, Ugly Truth
Some coins earn their color the hard way. They sit in envelopes, albums, or mint sets for decades, slowly picking up hues from their environment. Others take a shortcut. They get dunked in sulfur, baked in ovens, or blasted with heat just to grab attention and a higher price tag. That’s fake toning. At first…
Should You Use Acetone on Coins?
Acetone gets thrown around a lot in coin forums. Sometimes as a miracle fix, sometimes as a dangerous tool for people who don’t know what they’re doing. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Acetone is a solvent that can safely remove certain types of surface contaminants without damaging the metal underneath, if it’s used…
Can You Clean Tarnish Off a Coin? (And Should You?)
Tarnish has a way of pushing collectors toward bad decisions. You pick up a coin that should have nice details, but it’s dulled with a layer of dark gray or brown. It looks dirty. You know it’s just surface buildup, so why not clean it? This is one of the most common traps newer collectors…