Inheriting a coin collection can be overwhelming. From the golden rule of “never clean your coins” to sorting silver from base metals, learn the essential first steps to protecting your family’s numismatic legacy and avoiding costly mistakes.
When people uncover old coins—whether from a shoebox, an inherited estate, or a metal detector find—the instinct to “make them shine” is natural. However, cleaning coins can dramatically lower their value and, in most cases, cause irreversible damage.