Cleaning gold and silver proofs

fiatboy

Bronze Member
Jan 28, 2007
1,305
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What's the best way to clean fingerprints off gold and silver proof coins? I typically do not clean any of my valuable coins, but I really want to get rid of these fingerprints. Several coin dealers suggested quickly dipping the coins in ammonia. Has anyone tried this? Does anyone have any other ideas for cleaning gold and silver proofs? I'm going to practice on other proof coins first, because I don't want to mess up. Since the coins are quite rare, I am also considering professional cleaning. Any recommendations?
 

Ok, I found out the answer, so I'll answer my question in case anybody else is curious. Soak in ammonia for a few seconds; hold the proofs by the edge; rinse under gentle water; dip in that blue coin dipping stuff for a half second if there's still stuff on the coin (optional); rinse under gentle water until all the bubbles are gone; use a really really really gentle soft cloth and rub the coin, but don't dab or pat it---that way there will be no spotting when it dries. Make sure the cloth is really soft, cause we are dealing with proofs here. Practice on a few junky proofs before working with a valuable coin. Doesn't work on copper.
 

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