Currency Cleaning

[artattack-migration]

Does anyone know how dirty currency can be professionally cleaned so that it's value is not diminished, and, to keep it from getting a "genuine" designation as opposed to a grade?

[wheat'swheats]

leave it alone same as with coins. A true collector does not want a washed note.

[EastCoastCurrency]

All currency is graded with a number. There isn't a genuine or details grade like with coins.

 

You definitely don't want to mess with the paper yourself. But I wouldn't just blindly say leave it alone. Plenty of notes can be improved without damaging the originality or desirability. You would want to work with a professional though. And it also depends on the situation. I would say 90% of paper money that could be improved shouldn't be improved. There is a solid 10% where restoration work is necessary, welcome, and will improve the value.

[wheat'swheats]

All currency is graded with a number. There isn't a genuine or details grade like with coins.

 

You definitely don't want to mess with the paper yourself. But I wouldn't just blindly say leave it alone. Plenty of notes can be improved without damaging the originality or desirability. You would want to work with a professional though. And it also depends on the situation. I would say 90% of paper money that could be improved shouldn't be improved. There is a solid 10% where restoration work is necessary, welcome, and will improve the value.

There is a big difference between restoring and cleaning .

[Nutmeg Coin]

The best paper conservation companies take a year to do their work and you have to know someone....

[Steve in Tampa]

The BEP had it's turn at cleaning currency ......

 

[GBurger717-migration]

As others have said "leave it alone". I have seen before and after examples and it's not pretty if you don't know what you are doing.

[SmallSizeFanatic]

Agreed. Cleaning a note can seriously diminish its value, especially if you don't know what you are doing.

 

Collectors like original material.