Education
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How to clean coins
Do you want to clean a coin? Below is a short guide and detailed guidelines.
Coin cleaning – the basics
1: Find it
2. Take a picture of it
Take a picture before you clean the coin. Some details might disappear during the cleaning process.
Tip: take the picture against a white background.
3. Examine it
What do you see? Is the coin covered in loose dirt or are there signs of corrosion?
4. Clean the outer layers
Put on nitrile gloves to protect your hands. Use a toothbrush and pH-neutral soap to remove loose dirt. Gently brush off the dirt, first with a soft brush and later with a harder one.
5. Still not clean enough?
You can also use an acid-based cleaning agent.
Check our Guidelines for cleaning coins and medals for more information (in Dutch).
6. Please remember:
Take a picture of the coin after you have cleaned it.
Report your find to the National Numismatic Collection (NNC), so it can be included in the NUMIS database.
By expanding the database, you are contributing to research into the history of the Netherlands.
