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Coin Cleaning Metal Detecting Finds Silver Coins Copper Coins Found With Your Metal Detector
Date: Wednesday February 22, 2012
Coin Cleaning Metal Detecting Finds Silver Coins Copper Coins Found With Your Metal Detector
Coin Cleaning Metal Detecting Finds Found With Your Metal Detector.
The first thing to check is the date and mint mark on the coins you want
to clean. Be absolutely positive that they are not key collector
coins but common coins that are worth face value or silver (or gold) value.
There are two categories we need to discuss and they are copper coins,
and silver coins. Nickel coins can be cleaned in the same way as copper coins.
Remember, cleaning a coin de-values it considerably.
I clean my coins to make them more presentable and with the foresight of
knowing that I am not going to sell them.
Now lets Discuss Clad Coins
Clad coins are the easiest to clean and if you goof up
and they look bad, so what. They are still spendable. I tumble
all of my clad coins with pretty good results. It is an effortless
job. I fill the tumbler between half and 3/4's full of coins, add
water about a 1/2" above the coins, slice in some Ivory soap and let the
tumbler do it's job.
Always tumble like coins such as quarters, dimes
and nickels. If you put copper pennies in with the clads they are
going to turn a copper color. Clean your memorial pennies the same
way but by themselves.
This method will clean all of the dirt off
of them. It will not remove stains though. To remove stains
from coins, you soak them in one a cup of white vinegar with a tablespoon of
table salt. Let them sit as long as needed, even overnight.
Changing the solution in between soaks can help a lot with stubborn stains.
After soaking them, put them back in the tumbler and then they should be
ready to spend.
I have heard of people putting the clads in a tumbler
(after using the methods above) with sawdust or wood shavings. I
have not tried this but I think it would work great at "polishing"
them. This is all I do on clad coins. Anything more in my opinion
is too time consuming, especially for clad coins.
Iv'e tried tumbling clad coins (quarters, dimes, and nickels)
with vinegar and salt along with a few quarter to half inch size pebbles. The
results were very impressive! The clads were badly stained, but came out
shiny new and ready for spending.
I have also stopped using the ivory soap because it gets stuck in the tiny
crevices of the coins. It is easily removed with a brush, but who wants to
bother doing that. Regular dishwashing soap is better, but vinegar and salt with the
pebbles is by far the best method.
DO NOT USE AJAX CLEANSER ON COINS!
Learn from my mistakes, that is the purpose of this article. Also,
don't soak them in bleach. It doesn't work at all. Don't use
Ajax cleanser (or similar products) on copper coins.
If you use electrolysis to clean your copper coins they will
come out the same way as using the vinegar method. Soaking them in
vinegar or using electrolysis also lifts dirt out of holes on the coins
that you didn't know were there. Don't use it on coins that you want
to give eye appeal to. I have tried the "olive oil" method of soaking
copper coins. It takes too long and doesn't work very well (my opinion).
Silver Coins
There are several ways to make silver coins look very
presentable. Occasionally you can dig a silver coin out of the ground
that looks great. That is because silver actually
fares very well in the soil compared to copper. I use a soft toothbrush
with soap and hot water. That is usually all they need.
Sometimes silver does get stained or so encrusted that
you have to use other methods. You can use electrolysis or the vinegar
solution. They will also turn a dull silver color. Now you
have another problem that has to be addressed...the dull color on a nice
silver coin.
I use a product called Wrights Silver Cream.
It will take the dull away, I guarantee it! It can be purchased at
your local grocery store or jewelry shop. I have also used it on
silver coins without soaking them in vinegar and they still come out very
presentable.
There is one problem with using the silver cream.
They will be shiny looking when you are finished with them.
You have to decide for yourself whether or not to clean an old silver coin.
That is about it for cleaning silver coins. Anything
more than what is described above and I think you would run the risk of
ruining your coin. The bottom line on silver is, try cleaning it
with a toothbrush in warm soapy water. Next try the silver cream
and as a last resort, soak it in the vinegar solution.
Silver rings can be cleaned up nice on a buffing wheel
with Wrights Silver Cream. I have gotten incredible results using
this method on silver rings. One last note on the silver cream.
That black stuff you see when cleaning the coin or ring...that is silver
being taken off of the surface! You be the judge.
I received this method of cleaning silver coins from a treasure hunter.
I have not tried this method so cannot attest to how well it cleans
silver coins.
How Not to Clean Coins
Do not use muratic acid to clean your coins. It
is a mild solution of hydrochloric acid (HCL). And yes, I have used it
on coins and ruined them.
It only takes seconds to reduce the coin to nothing more than a slug.
I also tried it on an aluminum token. It dissolved it completely.
The same goes for sulfuric and nitric acid. Unless you
are trying to make slugs, avoid using them. Acid is very dangerous
and should be used outdoors with plenty of ventilation. Don't
use gasoline, bleach, clorox, ammonia or any combination of common household
cleaners. They won't clean coins as good as what I have described
above. Learn from my mistakes. I worked in a laboratory back
in the 70's and tried the various acid's using a hood to vent the vapors.
The results were awful to put it mildly. DON'T USE ACID TO
CLEAN YOUR COINS!!! It is not worth it.
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