How to Keep an Army Challenge Coin Collection

Challenge coins are associated with honor and tradition, and you keep them with you at all times. After all, it's only natural after receiving such a valuable token. That being said, you'll want to know how to care for your Army challenge coin collection. Something so important should be handled with extreme caution. However, learning how to care for it can be difficult if you don't have all of the necessary knowledge. Click here for Military Souvenir Army Commemorative Sports Metal Soft Enamel Challenge Coin.

The good news is that it isn't as difficult as you would assume. We've listed a few methods for keeping your military coins in mint condition so they can continue to look as nice as the day you obtained them.

How to Take Care of Your Army Challenge Coins

Here are a few things you can do to keep your coins in good condition for years to come. Continue reading to learn more.

Protect them from direct sunlight.

This may appear to be an unpleasant request, but trust us when we say it's for your coins' sake. Direct sunlight is beneficial to most things, but it is not beneficial to your cash. The outside of challenge coins is usually painted. Even though this paint has dried on the coin, it may split or peel if exposed to light for an extended period. Your best bet is to put it in a room corner or anywhere away from windows where sunlight can impact it.

Don't Use Bleach

It should go without saying, but many individuals have already made this mistake, and many more are probably planning to do so in the future, so let's just get this out of the way now.

Bleach is a very potent chemical. There's a reason you only use it on certain goods, and even then, using too many risks ruining those items (especially if they're white).

When it comes to challenging coins, you should wash them now and then to keep them clean. There are a few methods for doing this (we'll go over them shortly), but dousing them in bleach is never a good idea. If you continue to use the bleach, the strong chemicals in it may damage the paint on the coin or, worse, change the color of the metal itself.

Be Careful with Wiping with a Cloth

You might feel compelled to wipe off any minor smudges on your coin with a cloth whenever you notice them. Even though this is a natural response, you must exercise extreme caution. In addition to the potential for small rocks and other debris, dirt typically contains a lot of small grains. These minute particles may become lodged in your coin's crevices and accumulate over time.

If you attempt to clean it with a cloth first, you run the risk of scratching the coin by rubbing the dirt all over it. This will reduce the value of your coin, which is the last thing you want if you're a serious collector.

To deal with this issue, you should first wash the coin. Place the challenge coin in warm water and thoroughly rinse it before drying it with a cloth. This method will wash away all of the hard particles, reducing the possibility of scratching the coin when you wipe it off.

Try Soaking It in Distilled Water

Who knew distilled water could be so effective?

A simple rinse under the water isn't always enough to remove stubborn dirt from a coin. If this is the case, do not attempt to remove it by wiping it. Instead, use distilled water to complete the task.

Distilled water is mild on your coin yet tough on any filth it comes across without changing the color of your coin. Place your challenge coin in the water and leave it for a day to remove any remaining filth. If it doesn't work, take a soft toothbrush and gently rub it across the gunk-covered area. After that, drop it back in the water for another day to ensure that the filth has been removed from the coin.

Make Use of Olive Oil

Those who collect old coins frequently use olive oil to remove blemishes without hurting the piece itself. Although a challenge coin is unlikely to be considered ancient, you could still gain from employing this strategy.

Before you begin, keep in mind that this method is exceedingly sluggish - far slower than the others discussed previously. Only use this strategy if nothing else seems to be working. Soak your penny in an olive oil jar for a week or more. If you notice the oil changing color during the soaking process, it signifies it's saturated with filth and has to be changed.

When the timer goes off, grab the coin and wash it with dish soap (preferably one with little or no acidity) and water. After that, the coin should be as good as new!