text: what is the best meathod for cleaning ancient roman coins? i know it is possible to remove or damage the patina, but just how easy is it? will just rubbing it with a cloth or brush remove it? and how do you know if you are past the dirt and to the patina or coin? it seems that a lot of it looks the same (for instance, big green colored bumps that are dirt). generally with collectable items, you don't really want to clean them.  you might want to discuss this with a coin collector or collector's shop before you decide to do anything to your coins.  often, with very old things, being dirty doesn't make them less valuable.