Question: 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).

Answer: 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.
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