clad coins

[Allen in MT]

Have a general question reguarding clad coins. I have 3 tumblers that I use for coin cleaning and use soap and stainless steel shot pieces and it gets most everything off. I change water about every 45 minutes and run the last for a few hours.
I tumble all coins seperatly. dimes, quaresrs nickles and the ever lovin pennies.
The only problem is there is still a dark tarnish stain on the clads. Any other good liquid concoctions out there to take the tarnish off the clads and the nickels?

Allen

 

[Rudy]

I use a sudsing ammonia (available at most Hardware stores) and hot water mixture and small size aquarium gravel. Works great.

Sometimes, I find real crudded pennies in the salt beaches. These I treat with a little C.L.R. and hot water along with the aquarium gravel.

 

[Dirtfishin in Carolina]

Found this on another Forum and tried it and it works:
"My Favorite Coin Cleaning Tips"

Posted By: Monte <Send E-Mail> (24.20.73.121)
Date: Thursday, 14 July 2005, at 8:01 a.m.

Seems like this topic comes up a few times a year, so let me share the steps I go through for cleaning up my dirty, nasty modern 'flash money' coins.

What coins do I clean?.... I clean all of my modern clad dimes, quarters, halves and Susan B. dollars. I clean all modern nickels separately from the clad. I clean all pennies and Sacajawea dollars separately from the rest. NOTE: Make sure you separate the coins into groups as described!

I also add common 'wheatback' cents to my pennies, and no-date Buffalo and 'V' nickels to my nickel group. I have also done a run to clean up bulk silver coins, and have also used this procedure for sterling silver jewelry and gold jewelry on occasion.

What things do I use for coin cleaning?.... Assemble the following for a few hour session of coin cleaning every month or two (depending upon how many coins have been found to clean).

1.. Tumbler NOTE: I refer to a rock tumbler and not the vibrating case tumbler used by reloaders! I use a Lortone 2-barrel tumbler.

2.. Aquarium gravel. I prefer white synthetic type.

3.. Some type of seive to separate the coins from the gravel. I use a Garrett 'Grizzly' and a Gravity Trap gold pan combination.

4.. Plastic jar w/lid. I use a former peanut butter jar.

5.. Plastic container such as those used for cottage cheese, margarine, etc.

6.. Toilet bowl cleaner, liquid, such as Lysol, Sno Bowl, etc.

7.. Liquid dish soap. I prefer Dawn or the Kirkland brand from Costco.

8.. Cream of Tarter

9.. Bath towel

10..

 

[Rick(ND)]

I just cleaned these for a guy here, first picture is the clad coins before I cleaned them. I used a rock tumbler with aquarium gravel, added water and about 1/8 cup Real Lemon Juice I get at Sams Club. I tumbled these for around a hour, then drained off and rinsed the coin off. Now I put them back in again and tumble for around a hour, then leave them sit for 5 or 6 hours to soak (accualy I left them sit over nite) run again for around 2 hours and drained and rinsed them off and let them air dry. Second picture will be of them after they were cleaned. There is a few that have a red tint to them and some look better then new depending on how long they been in the ground and where they were.
My third picture is on the pennies I tumble the same way, but only a hour to 2 hours of tumbleing as they clean up great.

 

[Dan MI]

Aquarium gravel and a little vinegar will clean them up nicely. You will get a pink tint on the nickels dimes and quarters if you don't separate them. but even with the tint they will pass for good coins.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Put a table spoon of cream of tartar in with the coins and this will get rid of most of the tarnish

 

[coindude]

The fastest way to clean clad coins is as follows. In a small sealable container put warm water with 3 table spoons of salt and 1/2 cup vinegar. Put lid on container and shake for 30 seconds. That will clean coins almost instantly.