Cleaning gold coins can be a tricky matter. On one hand you are compelled to clean a gold coin, to see its beauty, see its true condition and determine its worth. On the other hand, many basic cleaning strategies can greatly detract from the value of your coin. This is true with all vintage coins, but is especially true with gold coins, which are soft and susceptible to marks, scratches and other damage.

The first step you should take in cleaning a gold coin is some gently running warm water and some mild soap or detergent. This can surprisingly remove a large amount of dirtiness and a variety of stains from a gold coin.

For more stubborn coins, the safest and most effective stronger cleaning is done with the use of an ultrasonic tank. Suspended in a nonvolatile solution, the coins are vibrated with sound to clean off any accumulated dirt or other substances.

This is safe and works great, but of course not everybody has an ultrasonic tank for cleaning coins or jewelry. You can however go to a reputable jeweler who cleans gold jewelry for this. If you absolutely must clean your gold coins on your own, the next best way is through slowly boiling them in a pan. You just want to make sure you do not let too much water evaporate and risk overheating the coins.

Preventive Measures to Keep Gold Coins Clean

Certain precautions can be taken to help keep your gold coins clean and in good condition. One of these is by storing your coins in the appropriate settings. A common mistake is storing them in a metal box in a basement or attic. If that metal box becomes damp and begins to rust, the rust can in turn rub off onto the gold coin and stain it with that rust.

Another thing to avoid is using any kind of tape or adhesive on your coin as a means of propping it into place for show or keeping it safe during a mailing. The work of cleaning gold coins can be made easier by avoiding common pitfalls such as the above.

Things to Avoid When Cleaning Gold Coins

It’s the simple things that can come back and haunt you, because gold coins are so precious and at the same time so fragile. You should never dry off or attempt to rub clean a gold coin. Even the smallest particle on the surface of the coin or buried into that cloth can start scratching the coin.

You also want to avoid any kind of abrasive or any polish that contains any abrasives. Abrasives basically work by removing thin layers on the surface of a material, and as such your gold coins can be miserably damaged.

If you have any doubts about whether or not you should clean a gold coin, just don’t do it! Even if you don’t have any doubts you might not want to go ahead and clean your old gold coins by yourself. If you plan on selling them or getting them priced, the interested dealer or collector with the appropriate tools and expertise can do the cleaning. In fact, many will even prefer to have the coins not cleaned, so they can care for them themselves.