Coin Cleaning Question

[DJ_Quinn]

I know this isn't the best place to post this, but here it goes anyway, ( I want tto post the photos after I have some new finds fixed )

I tried to clean several old coins, ( coppers) that I found last night using vinegar, ( I know, I know... bad idea ), they had a lot of crud.
The vinegar removed any tone, and they are very hard to read/ make out now.
Any tips for re-toning them?


Cheers!

 

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[DJ_Quinn]

Thanks badger. I'll try the oven trick first.
I guess the import lesson I learned was not to try to clean them in the first place.
I've heard that soapy watewr in a tumbler is the best if they are really grimy.

 

[NEWBIE DETECTOR]

hello. i am new to metal detecting.i live in florida and have found many coins that have been coroded or things on them .i tried electrolosis once and it worked fairly well.i used a small car battery charger with the positive connected to the coin and the other conectd to a large washer for a ground.it took most of the crap off the coin.just an idea.keep on digging.

 

[DJ_Quinn]

Thanks Newbie. How long did it take, and what voltage did you use?

 

[NEWBIE DETECTOR]

i used i believe it was a 12 volt.make sure both ends are submersed in the water and the connectors do not touch.it probably took 10 minutes per coin.good luck.

 

[DJ_Quinn]

Thanks newbie.
Can't help you on the FT. Meyers question, but if you ever get to Ireland, there are plenty of un-picked-apart sites.

DJ

 

[JerV3]

I would have gave them a peroxide bath. Scrapped all dirt that would come off with a tooth pick. Rinsed off really good. Let them dry. Go buy a small can of mother mag and aluminum polish from the local auto zone. You can get it at Walmart to in the auto section. Safe for all metals. Won't scratch them either.

I swear by this stuff. It is great for putting that natural shine back on the coin. It does wonders I'm telling you. It brings back relics and coins really great. The key is to get as much dirt off the item as possible. Then apply the mothers on it and rub it on the coin with your finger tips. Let dry for 5 minutes buff off with a dry cloth. Repeat the process until you like what the coin looks like.

Trust me I have cleaned hundreds of old coins. Ruined a good bit of them myself before I knew what I was doing. Try it on some Wheaties first and non-valuable items. You'll see what I'm talking about.

Hope someone tries this method. It works great. Hope this helps.

HH Jer

 

[hard pan]

I carry a small bag with soak paper towel that has olive oil in it. Here the key as soon as the coin come out of ground it goes into the bag within 5min of being dugg if you wait to long it will dry out and you will little to see on the front of the coin or artifact . When get it home i soak it in olive for a week or two then slowy take my time and clean the coin super soft tooth pick and q tip then i apply blue ribbon cleaner and let sit for a week , ps it work but it takes time and the coins come out nice too

 

[rusty nails]

some hi tech cleaning tips ! - olive oil does a great job in loosening crud - when its all wet its easier to identify what you have - plastic shot glassed work great for this - Lefty

 

[alabamadan]

...Here the key as soon as the coin come out of ground it goes? into the bag within 5min of being dugg if you wait to long it will dry out

Are you saying that a coin will be damaged more if something isn't done as soon as the coin is removed?

 

[FoxHound0985]

Hi there, I have also overcleaned coins, but I have found a great way to put the natural "right out of the ground" patina back on the coin. Do it naturally! I usually rebury them right next to a large tree and wait for about a month and the coin comes out of the ground looking just as it did when I dug it. Just dont forget that you buried them and where. This really works great. It takes a long time, but it is well worth it in the end. Hope this helps. Good luck and HH!

Fox

 

[DJ_Quinn]

Thank you lads! Some great tips. I think I'll try re-brurrying them, and then cleanining them with the auto-polish. I don't have any really old ones, so I'll experiment and let you know how they turn oyt.
FYI, I do have some old English bronze pennies. I am curious to see how they turn out. Will let you all know. Thanks to evryone who posted advise!

DJ

 

[renegade_7]

Let me know how the oven trick worked.

 

[Fredneck]

Some coins the crud should stay on and some should not, in my opinion. I usually only remove the crud on highly circulated coins or else you will never see whats on it. I use Lemon juice for quick removal of crud first, and then soak in olive oil or just do a lotta rubbing on it with vaseline ....the guys should be good at that method Been using the Lemon juice for years on my Civil War buttons, but only if there's a possibility of gold gilt on it and it has worked great. Here's a pic of a King Geoge ll dug 2 weeks ago that only soaked in the juice for 10 minutes and has not yet seen oil or vaseline. Just my 2 cents.

Dave