In this article, an attempt is presented of a methodological advancement in the sphere of restoration of numismatic finds. Different views of restorers and numismatists as to how a coin should look after cleaning are stated. After the example of numismatic finds from excavations in Tul´skaya Str., St. Petersburg, it is demonstrated that the aesthetic approach for preservation of the ‘noble’ patina, in some cases, can decrease the information value of a coin as an important historical source. Studies of Russian coins of the 18th and 19th centuries have indicated that analytical treatment and careful examination during the process of restoration are able to yield not only information on the coin legends but also about the history of their overstriking