Cleaning Beach Coins

[Goober1283]

Hello All! I am BRAND NEW to metal detecting.....so bare with me while I probably ask a question that many have asked before. I went out today on the beach. Found some coins which appear to be pennies....they are very much covered in really hard sand. I cant see anything visible as far as a date, words or picture...but they look like pennies. I read somewhere online that to clean pennies you should put them in vinegar and shake it around.....well some of the copper started coming off. Is that normal in pennies? Or maybe that means they arent pennies? Or is the vinegar thing just a bad idea?? Any suggestions or help would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[vfr800]

Well you will get alot of answers about pennies. Some throw them away, others clean (non value coins) with many methods. I myself have found enough clad to get a coin tumbler i just put them in for about 1-2hrs so they will go Thur the coin counter at the bank. Pennies will corrode to the point that there is only half a coin left or a holes in it most will go Thur the coin counter the ones that are junk go in the trash. If i had to dig it up then its going in the tumbler.
This is what i do others may do something else. So have fun.................HH

Oh, Depending on what machine you have you can discriminate the pennies. I don't disc. anything because i hunt on the beach's..

 

[nick hunter]

Hi

Just bought a tumbler three weeks ago...

I feel sorry I didn't before (16th year intensive beach hunting).

The coins that come out of thr tumbler after two to four hours are more than clean : they are spendable!!

Don't mess with chemical products or cleaning coin per coin : a tumbler, some abrasive (sand will do ok) and some dishwashing product, and they shine like the day they were coined !

HH

 

[Ron Lord]

Put the coins in a bowl cover them with White vinger with a teaspoon of salt ,mix it a little . In about 20 to 25 mins. they will be nice and clean. This is safe you can drink it ,might taste like ckap, but it's safe for little kids. Don't mix clad with pennies, every thing will turn copper color.

 

[dewcon4414]

I have a double tumbler and find that most of my beach coins that are OLD unless they are silver arent really collectable quality. I just throw silver in one copper in the other and turn them into the bank. Pays for equipment and takes less time. You might find an occassional coin worth you effort, but the salt and scratching of the sand really takes its toll.

Dew

 

[ratpack]

Look on harbor fraight site, you can't get a DBL. tumbler any cheaper. I have one and it's the only way to go to clean coins

 

[VBDave]

If there's lots of sand stuck to what appears to be a penny, it's likely gonna be a very corroded newer one (post mid 80's). After cleaning you'll probably find it full of holes or missing an edge. I put them in my trash pouch with the pulltabs.

 

[bdahunter]

Bubble pennies are just trash, no wonder the dollar is worth nothing with junk like that circulating as coin of the realm. I just dump them in the trash so I don't have to risk digging them again on the next hunt.

 

[Goober1283]

Thanks Everyone! Seems like ya'll have given me some great advice. I am learning all the sounds of my new detector...a Bounty Hunter Pioneer 202. I can't wait to get back to Galveston beaches and give it another try.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[BARKER]

Hi Goober; Pointer: Do NOT ever mix copper with any other metal item in the same tumbler even if you "thouroughly" wash out the tumbler drum barell.There is "ALWAYS" copper residue left in the drum and everything you ever put in that drum will turn copper colored due to a plating effect that happens. Do yourself a favor and get a second drum barrell for everything else except copper.In the barrel I use aquarium gravel, "Medium Sized" and I use Tide Laundry Soap. They do a great job all around.You only need to use a small spoonfull of the powdere type or 1/2 a spoonfull of the liquid type. The gravel lasts years and the "TIDE" soap cleans like crazy and it is cheap enough to do. Also make sure you mark the copper barrells lid somehow so you don't "ever" get them mixed up ok.. If you put a silver or gold coin or ring in the copper drum it will turn copper colored and you will lose "all" value except its scrap.Some dealers will even reject the silver or gold items over it. So please be carefull. On the "bright" side. Buynig a second tumbler is always a good idea because you can clean more items faster and use less soap and time doing it. Good Luck. PEACE:RONB

 

[ph036011]

Cheapest method I have found to clean coins, no electricity, no expensive tumbler, some noise pollution but go out back so you don't bother your better half or man cave
Happy noisy shaking method of coin cleaning
Take a stainless metal drinking bottle (can buy them used at savers / salvation army for 1.99, you are not going to drink out of it)
Place ~3/4 cup of pennies and ~1/2 cup of course beach sand into your metal drinking bottle and cap so you don't get sand all over the place
I first tried a empty plastic peanut bottle but cracked the cover due to repeated shaking of coins, failure was not going to stop me, coins were clean, needed a metal container, thus the stainless drinking bottle
Put in ear plugs or if you are already partially deaf no great threat, LOL, no please use ear plugs, hearing loss is cumulative, plus you don't want to miss rings when metal detecting
Shake the capped bottle until it gets hot, lots of friction generated on coins and in the bottle, switch hands or use both, rest if you get tired, drink water, check progress of coins, repeat, admire your bulging biceps, LOL
You will be surprised in very little time coins come out very good, knocks off corrosion, sand and discoloration, you can clearly read dates
Poor out coins and sand into your scoop on newspaper / cardboard to separate sand
To improve appearance find the cheapest super market coconut oil and lightly dab coins on newspaper, let dry out overnight, probably could use soap but my wife loves her coconut oil and helps me with this
Inspect coins, some might need a light wire brush / or if too wasted throw them out but 97% will be good to go / be rolled and turned into the bank
Next time you go metal detecting return your used sand and pick up fresh croase sand / bring home a gallon or so and you have plenty to spare.
Happy noisy shaking method of coin cleaning

 

[nagov]

I didn't come up with this but read it on some Forum somewhere and didn't believe it until I just tried it. You can do it in a shaker bottle or just an open container but I used my tumbler to speed things up. Put the clad in a container of vinegar and agitate.... in my case, I just plugged it in....here is what I like about it.... No Gravel or sand or other abrasive was used..... in just 20 minutes, my clad quarters, dimes and nickels were cleaner then any other method I've tried and it is the quickest way too,( I have used other cleaners and gravel and had coins not as clean after hours in the tumbler).... a few could have used another 10 minutes or so but 98% of them were darn near as good as anything in your pocket.

As for the tumbler drum and not using it for copper and clad.... maybe it is a wives tale passed on or maybe it depends on the material your drum is made up of but I use mine for everything with NO problems....silver colored clad not pink.....

Try the vinegar method if you haven't, I think you will be amazed......haven't tried it yet on copper and zinc one cent coins.

Cliff

 

[goldnugget]

I try a lot of different cleaning solutions. That was mentioned.
Pictures before and after cleaning my (1 ) day Beach Finds- When the Beach is Hot Part 3 topic-goldnugget See if you Spot a Shield Nickel in the group before cleaning. Hint.cleaning method is the same thing the Doctors give you to drink before you colonoscopy.Cherry Flavor is the best, takes about 30 minutes to clean an old large cewnt

 

[Explorer]

Throw the zincs in one of the ship anything US postal boxes until packed full and send them back to the US Mint with your contact info inside. They pay for them by weight and send you a check.

 

[Explorer]

The coins waiting for a full box to be mailed back to the US Mint for a refund.

 

[dobbratacus]

n/t

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I have tried tumbling copper and zinc pennies in the vinegar solution. Kept blowing the lid off my tumbler and spilling the solution all over my tumbler. So I tumble them with "Chicken Grit" (granite) with water and a dash of dish detergent. Takes much longer but does the job.

 

[wvrick]

I went to Harbour Freight and looked at the double drum tumblers today. How well do the lids seal and hold water and cleaner? I looked at the display tumbler and the drum lids were not threaded and slip on, not even tight. They would fall off if you inverted the drum.

 

[wvrick]

I went to Harbour Freight and looked at the double drum tumblers today. How well do the lids seal and hold water and cleaner? I looked at the display tumbler and the drum lids were not threaded and slip on, not even tight. They would fall off if you inverted the drum.

After finding a video I see how the seal works.

 

[Kossie]

I've got a tumbler but it takes ages to clean Euro coins. The 1, 2 and 5 cent coins are copper plated iron. I don't look for them but frequently dig them up. I used a Dremel tool with a metal brush and a drop of abrasive detergent to clean the copper and nickel coins but I stopped doing that as well. I can deposit the coins in a counting machine at my bank. Some of the decent looking coins I spent but I deposit most.

Regards Kossie