Shoutout to the guy who told me to stop cleaning my coins

I used to think making old coins look shiny and new was the way to go. Found a 1919 wheat penny at a park last month and scrubbed it with baking soda. Showed it to a collector at the flea market and he basically told me I wrecked the value. He pulled out a similar one that was all dark and crusty and said that patina is actually what makes it worth something. I compared the two side by side and his looked way more legit and historic. Now I just rinse off dirt with water and let them be. Anybody else learn this the hard way too?

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gibson.sean5d ago

A 1919 wheatie in decent shape might pull 50 cents to a dollar cleaned versus 5-10 bucks with original patina. I get why collectors want that crusty look but honestly most people don't care about that stuff. If you're not trying to flip coins for profit then clean them how you want. I've got a jar of old pennies I hit with vinegar and salt just because I like seeing them shine. Your collection your rules.