Have Morgan 1921 silver dollars Is it all right to clean them to make them shiny or is this a bad idea?

Answer 1

The answer to the question "How do I clean my coins?" is always the same - No, Don't, Never, Stop.

Cleaning with anything you have around the house will almost certainly damage the natural surface of the coins and induce chemical changes that will eventually make their condition worse than if you'd left them alone.

It's kind of like on Antiques Roadshow when someone shows up with a 1780 piece of furniture that they "cleaned up" to make it look better for the program. The appraiser grits their teeth and says something like, "well, in this condition it's worth $2000 but if you had left it alone, I could have auctioned it for five times that much".

Answer 2

The optimum manner in which to restore a coin (not clean) is to apply with a Q-tip a very light coat of xylene; then wipe dry. Don't try to clean your coins with anything more than soaking in distilled water and soap (not detergent). Then brush away any dirt that has loosened with an artist's camel hair brush and rinse in more distilled water. Anything else may cause damage to the surface and reduce its collector value significantly. "Wiping it dry" may cause hairline scratches, no matter how soft the cloth is. Let it air dry lying on a soft, clean cloth. If it needs more cleaning than this, it needs the attention of a professional conservator.