Cleaning My Coins

[McNugget]

I found some coins at the beach But there covered with sand and tarnished...How can I clean them...Once I clean them I'll post some pics..
Thanks McNugget

[morestuff!]

Depends on what type of coins.
Keep in mind that if any are valuable, cleaning them usually has a negative impact.
But, if they're already in really awful shape it may not matter so much.

[dougdann]

Hi,
I would be gentle with them

Maybe just soap and water. Let them soak and scrub with a tooth brush.

I've had trouble with coins from the beach before. The salt water tends to paly havoc with them.
Normally I just leave as is.

Where are you detecting.
If you don't mind me asking.
I detect alot in Galveston ,Texas.

Doug

[morestuff!]

Hi Doug,
I'm from Pennsylvania. Just getting back into the hobby after a long absence. Also collect coins.
I guess a soft tooth brush really does no harm if the coin is already corroded. You might try asking Gregory about tumbling the coins. He may have some experience with that method, and it may work for you.
Ed

[dougdann]

I'm an avid buyer,seller and mostly collector of uncleans ancient coins.
Tooth brush and water and soap is the primary method I use.
Been doing this for 5 years. L:ots of fun.

definitely interested in hearing about other cleaning methods.

Thankyou,

Doug

[Jeb]

Over here in the Uk we use various methods for cleaning coins from the Beach.If you want to clean them for re use try, leaving them overnight in anything acid. such as Vinegar, or Coca cola. then giving them a light rub over with wire wool, comes up good enough to re use again. If they have a heavy Crud on them, longer submerging is needed .OR use a Brand of oven cleaner and again Rub over with wire wool . This is not recommended for coins intended for display. another cleaning method is Electrolysis.

[leslie(nova scotia)]

From the land of the Bluenose..any coin dealer will tell you not to clean coins. But for the run of the mill clad you can try a rock tumbler with Mean Green, aquarium gravel, water and a touch of white vinegar. This works well for modern clad that you intent to roll or spend.

My experience is that silver can be cleaned quite easily with a pie plate lined with tin foil and silver only coins put in. Cover with baking soda and pour boiling water over the coins and fold edges of tin foil down. Leave overnight and rinse. Worked well even on my 1749 8 and 2 reales. Repeat if necessary.

For copper coins a paste made from cream of tarter and vinegar can clean these up good but should not be used on coins that are rare or you wish to add to a collection. This will remove everything including patina. Sometimes the patina is all that is left on a coin to show a design and if cleaned this way you may have a blank dic.

Hope this helps!

[robzombie852]

other great methods are those toilet bowl cleaning crystals or those fizzy denture cleaning tablets. just put it in water with the coins and let em sit for 2 hours. repeat if necesary.

[portraitartist]

I used to clean my clad in a rock tumbler with gravel and sometimes vinegar - smells awful, but works great! I'd let it run overnight.

For silver, it's a case by case basis... I generally don't do anything in the field - if anything, I dont clean it at all, or I'll actually try and seal it in a small clump of dirt or clay to protect it from the other coins in my pouch until I find out if it's worth anything.

Once I do and if I know the coin is just a basic date, or is so worn it wouldn't matter, I generally just toothbrush it off under some warm water. If it is something that could be worth more than face, I'll very gently clean it with warm water and a soft cloth - scrubbing it with a toothbrush can make tiny hairlines.

On my silver jewelry, I will wash the dirt off under warm water, and then lightly scrub them off with a toothbrush with a tiny bit of toothpaste - it really makes 'em shine!

[Robalou]

I found a bunch of very old copper coins. These coins were very warn, had a lot of dirt on them and for the most part too far gone to be worth anything. One looked like it was a 1910 Lincoln cent. After soaking this one in vinegar, I couldn't make out anything on it any longer. I guess the patina was all that was left as far as being able to identify this coin. It came out pretty clean and pretty bare. Just the other day I found a 1918 S penny, not as warn as the 1910, but after a two hour soaking in vinegar I could no longer see the s, or the 18. Be careful with soaking the old ones, as you may not have much left afterwards.