Question; Peroxide cleaning, good or bad?

[CincinnatiKid]

Hello all,
I've been surfing TNet and viewed a thread mentioning cleaning coins with Peroxide. Can this method help or harm "dug" coins and or relics which have corrosion?
If helpful, how is coin or relic cleaned? Soaked, brushed or other?
Thanks
Peace

 

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[Argentium]

From what I've seen on here , it depends a lot on whether the coin is flaky or solid (surface wise ) if its flaky apparently
the peroxide is not a good choice .

 

[Tom_in_CA]

method:

.... how is coin or relic cleaned? Soaked, brushed or other? ....

Here's the way you use hydrogen peroxide to clean items:

1) put a table-spoon or two at the bottom of a petri dish or shot-glass type container.

2) Microwave it for about 10 or 15 seconds, till nearly boiling.

3) remove the H.P. from the microwave.

4) Drop your coin (or whatever) in the boiling hot hydrogen peroxide.

5) You will see the bubbles-fizz off your item. Let fizz a bit.

6) remove, pick at it with a wooden tooth-pick or your finger-nail (or terry towel, etc...).

7) repeat the above process, by re-heating the solution (or starting over with a new table-spoon full).

8) If need be, you can get something more abrasive (baking soda, or whatever) at the rinse/persuade phase. But only if you don't have something super numismatically key.

9) the H.P. method works good with copper and brass metals. But try it on silver too, and see what happens. It'll depend on the type and severity of the corrosion as to how this method affects different silver coins.

 

[coinman123]

I've had some mixed results cleaning copper coins with Hydrogen Peroxide. On the other hand, Hydrogen Peroxide works great on brass flat buttons.

 

[flatbutton]

I used to give mine a good long soak in olive oil,and it worked pretty good. I've also tried hot peroxide and it worked pretty good as well. Haven't tried mineral oil or electrolysis. All I know is that liquid plumber IS DEF. NOT GOOD FOR CLEANING COINS! Believe me, I KNOW

 

[airscapes]

Used it on my first and only (sofar) IH. It looked like a flake of concreted, so bad i almost put it in the tumbler as cruddy clad.
After trying the microwave method, I found using an electric potpourri pot I had in the closet for some 20 years worked really well. Keeps the solution hot, drop in the brass/bronze object for a few minutes of bubble time then scratch at it with a toothpick, wipe, repeat till clean (about 3 hours).

Have not tried on any other metal as of yet

Here are the results on bronze

 

[NWMP]

All I know is that liquid plumber IS DEF. NOT GOOD FOR CLEANING COINS! Believe me, I KNOW

I hear ya. I tried CLR a few years back and it could strip the arse off a rhino in a few seconds ! Not good.

 

[Higgy]

I hear ya. I tried CLR a few years back and it could strip the arse off a rhino in a few seconds ! Not good.

Not to mention how the rhino felt about it.

 

[CincinnatiKid]

Thanks all.
As I've mentioned before, I dug a toasted 185? Indian a while back. Tried all conventional means of cleaning. I even stupidity tumbled it. Still a bit of crud and unable to date.
I'll try method Tom in CA mentions and let you know result.
Thanks again...
Peace

 

[CincinnatiKid]

Initial results are favorable.
I have what I thought was an academic pendant found on grounds of a long gone military school. School existed from 1839-1958. Many great finds from site.
I went step by step, as the esteemed Tom in CA mentioned, with the pendant. It required 3 soaks in hot HP, but I can now fully read pendant.
Pendant reads; Bucyrus Erie. Company was founded in 1880. It operated as Bucyrus Erie 1927-1996, when purchased by Caterpillar.
I surmise, one of the students at the school, had a parent that worked for Bucyrus Erie and lost pendant before 1958?
I will soon give the same treatment to my 185? cent.
Tom in CA, can't thank you enough. It works!
Peace

 

[Tom_in_CA]

cincinnati-kid, you're are very welcome. You can send your payment to me now. I accept paypal, haha

 

[CincinnatiKid]

Tom in CA, I've just completed the "HP" method on my 185? Indian. I should have said Flying Eagle.
Date is now legible. 1858.
I still don't have a 1856? They don't seem to be hard to locate though. Can you please send one. PayPal will not be required.
Thanks again.
Peace

 

[1320]

Anyone have before/after pics?

 

[postalgriff]

works great for our coppers here in Michigan. Only negative about it is it will darken the coins and I like em green I use a metal measuring cup right on the stove.

 

[postalgriff]

before and after

 

[1320]

before and after

Sweet! Thanks for posting those.

 

[postalgriff]

before and after store card

 

[coinman123]

I've had some mixed results cleaning copper coins with Hydrogen Peroxide. On the other hand, Hydrogen Peroxide works great on brass flat buttons.

When you have a barely readable copper coin and use Hydrogen Peroxide it may ruin it, but when you have a copper coin with a decent amount of details it helps a lot.

 

[coinman123]

Thanks all.
As I've mentioned before, I dug a toasted 185? Indian a while back. Tried all conventional means of cleaning. I even stupidity tumbled it. Still a bit of crud and unable to date.
I'll try method Tom in CA mentions and let you know result.
Thanks again...
Peace

If the Indian is from 185? it has to be from 1859, for that is the first year of Indian Head Cents, it also had a different style wreath on the reverse. Indian Head Cents were minted from 1859-1909 from 1859-1864 (some 1864 cents were made out of bronze) Indian Head cents were made from a copper nickel alloy (88% Copper 12% Nickel) from 1864-1909 they were made out of 95% copper and 5% zinc and tin. All small cents minted from 1856-1864 (excluding 1864 bronze cents) are thicker than the later small cents and show up lower on the metal detector.

I was once very lucky to find an 1859 Indian Head Cent in VF details in a coin roll, I still have not metal detected one.



Coinman123,

 

[CincinnatiKid]

postalgriff, your results on the 1903 are stunning! Well done.
Peace