Bulk Cleaning

[hvacker]

I caught a segment of a show on odd jobs. Maybe someone has talked about this here before. Anyway this guys business is to clean coins, lots of them, people collect from their wishing wells. The kind you might see in Vegas.
They are in real bad condition and the banks won't take them and they won't go through a coin counter. He uses a small cement mixer. washes with water and then adds what I think was bleach but couldn't see the bottle. Runs it for awhile (45 min) then rinses and add more water and laundry soap. The last treatment is an abrasive he didn't name but was maybe a tumbling abrasive.
The coins came out good enough for the bank.

I'm not suggesting this method for valuable coins but I know there are a bunch of clad hunters needing a method. This method cleans any corrosion. Most is removed by the coins tumbling against each other.

 

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[Davers]

I recall seeing this show a few years back.

If I recall right They were Cleaning coins from a Wishing well "Cave" & some other places.
I think the Zinc Cents were the problem Coins Mostly.

Would they not ring a Bell when they found a Wheat Cent or on Bronze coins Saying they were worth more?

Ever Since I saw that Show , I've thought about the Cement Mixer Deal but Don't really find enough Coins to justify such a purpose.

In that show did they also go into the Coin Star Facility and show how they do things?

Would love to own some Coin Star Machines. ( for Funzies), just yesterday I found a 1940 Wheat Cent IMO VF Details. In a Coin Star Slot.

Would love to see that program again. ....Modern Marvels or "how it's done" kinda show.

IMO The Mixer would work well as a large Tumbler , just need to hook it up to a bicycle or something to turn it easier.

Davers

 

[hvacker]

I suppose if there were just a small number of coins a small rock tumbler would work. Also analyzing what was stuck to the coins and pin pointing the best method for that problem. That guys coins looked awful.

 

[Johncoho]

A rock tumbler works well for modern coins. You can use aquarium gravel and soap for about 45 minutes. Do not use for good coins.