Alternatives to Peroxide for cleaning copper coins...

[oxbowbarefoot]

From my observations, hydrogen peroxide is the most recommended and safest method for cleaning the majority of dug copper coins. However, using hydrogen peroxide does not work on every copper. Many dug coppers have been exposed to ground conditions that destroy detail and corrode the metal below the "crust" leaving the coin too far gone to uncover the detail below. It's not uncommon to see detail as a coin comes out of the ground, only to lose it later when trying to clean it. My question is:

What are the alternative methods for cleaning coppers that are either "too far gone" to use hydrogen peroxide or just as an alternative method? How do you best preserve detail which is no longer present on the coins actual surface and only exists as a layer of crust or corrosion?

 

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[Greatday05]

Here is a method I found that works well...


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I tried this method and had pretty good results. For the most part, it cleaned, and or loosened the hardened crud on the coins (wheat pennies for me) to the point that what didn't clean off was easily brushed off. The wheat pennies that it didn't clean were deeply encrusted with some thick green corrosion.
It is almost like some of the pennies dug out of the ground are exposed to some chemical process that eats away at the 5% zinc, leaving the 95% copper on the surface. It looks like severe pitting. In my opinion there isn't anything that can be done to the pitting. The pennies that the arm and hammer solution works on to clean the crud off of, the pennies are left bare so that for personal reasons a copper cleaner can be applied to shine them up. I would do this to put in an album.

 

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[Normsel]

Vinegar and salt is what many guys use and it works well in a tumbler or just soaking in a plastic coffee can and shake it really good once a day. Don't mix the clad with the pennies or everything turns copper color. The really crusty coins don't come out shiny but clean

 

[thumper]

Vinagar with or without salt will dry out and pit copper coins. As will catsup or hot sauce.