In my collection of new dirt eggs I have found some unique junk along with alot of clad.Some of the junk I would like to clean and talk about, the clad I would like to put it in a bank account for future upgrades. The problem is the banks have stated they do not accept dirty money. Is there an economical way to clean the stuff worth nothing of face value? I have been looking at the tumblers and also the sound wave cleaning machines, but I can't seem to find any good research on these. I see you have to buy additives for either so which would be more economical? I have tried to scrubb with dawn and a brush but the bank still says no. What ever cleaner I get I would like to be able to use it with some of the stuff that would be woth something. I have heard that some cleaning of certian items drops the value, I am okay with that I plan to pass all my finds and stories down to the grand chaps. Any Ideas?? Thanks for all the help
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Cleaning clad and just Junk ??
- Thread starter oddjobbob
- Start date
Hi oddjobbob, until you can find the correct cleaning method, I have heard of people putting their coins into vending machines and then pressing return. You put in dirty ones and clean ones come out the other end! Not that any resposible detectorist would do such a thing, it was just something I read. HH regards Nugget.
There was a discusion a while back on the metal detecting forum. Use the jump to forum drop down list at the top of this forum. Seems like the general consensu for cleaning face value coins was a tumbler with aquarium gravel. Some used lemon juice in the mix. I use steel wool and dawn on mine if I just have a few.
I use white vinegar and salt mixture, cover the coins with the vinegar and add a teaspoon of salt to the mix. Most clean up quick so you need to be on top of them. If left too long they'll discolor really bad. I wash them in warm water and detergent and dry them thoroughly. A large percentage will come out fine, the rest you could do with the tumbler. HH regards Nugget.
BH-LandStar
New member
I try to clean em up as best I can with a toothbrush and dish soap, then I weed out the corroded zincs, and any bent coins. The rest get dumped into the Coin Star machine at my local grocery store...I only do this when I get enough to make it worth my time. I only get a few if any that the machine will not accept.
HH,
BH-LandStar
HH,
BH-LandStar
Nugget a Coin Star is a machine (it's not a new fancy metal detector 
) in the local super markets where you can dump in all your loose change, and it gives you currency in exchange for a small (I think 5%) fee.
Easier then cleaning all the coins, rolling them, taking them to the bank, etc.
Brian
) in the local super markets where you can dump in all your loose change, and it gives you currency in exchange for a small (I think 5%) fee. Easier then cleaning all the coins, rolling them, taking them to the bank, etc.
Brian
nick hunter
New member
Hi !
Of course I don't know about US laws : I live in Europe. But I can assure you that an European bank refusing coins is punishable by law. The way it works over here is quite simple. The banks will accept your dirty coins but won't credit them into your account. Those coins will be sent to their headquarters, who in turn, will transmit them to the National Bank. The national bank will check all those dirty coins piece by piece and then credit your banking account. That takes something between three to six months, and they may refuse some coins that are really unreadable.
The National banks in our EU countries are the ones that EMIT coins nd notes. It has to be said that our EURO-coins are of poor quality, becoming black after a few days on a beach for instance. Worse, our small change are copper-plated steel coins and they tend to come out of the ground with rust concretions : an horror.
I suppose it would be possible to handle with US banks just as it is possible in Europe, but be aware your bank could charge a fee for transmitting the coins to the US National bank (don't know how it's called !)
Cleaning dirty coins is -at least in this part of the world- hopeless and frustrating, thank God we are able to use bank service.
HH
Nick the Belgian.
PS I join an example of those rusty euro 1,2 and 5 cents !
Of course I don't know about US laws : I live in Europe. But I can assure you that an European bank refusing coins is punishable by law. The way it works over here is quite simple. The banks will accept your dirty coins but won't credit them into your account. Those coins will be sent to their headquarters, who in turn, will transmit them to the National Bank. The national bank will check all those dirty coins piece by piece and then credit your banking account. That takes something between three to six months, and they may refuse some coins that are really unreadable.
The National banks in our EU countries are the ones that EMIT coins nd notes. It has to be said that our EURO-coins are of poor quality, becoming black after a few days on a beach for instance. Worse, our small change are copper-plated steel coins and they tend to come out of the ground with rust concretions : an horror.
I suppose it would be possible to handle with US banks just as it is possible in Europe, but be aware your bank could charge a fee for transmitting the coins to the US National bank (don't know how it's called !)
Cleaning dirty coins is -at least in this part of the world- hopeless and frustrating, thank God we are able to use bank service.
HH
Nick the Belgian.
PS I join an example of those rusty euro 1,2 and 5 cents !
dougmoore34
New member
Its all about the Coin Star. I dump everything in and it sorts the dead coins for me. Dirty, bent, corrosion...I don't care the machine gets a chance [or two] to eat them all. After that its toy shopping for me. Hoorah!
If you do have a big batch of coins to take to the bank check with your bank as to how they want them. My bank in Louisiana wanted them rolled up with my account number written on each roll. I did that for my bank here in Oklahoma before I took them to the bank. I got there and they made me dump them all out of rolls so they could count them with there change counting machine.
Check with your bank before you go in to save yourself some work maybe.
Check with your bank before you go in to save yourself some work maybe.
GRAY GHOST
New member
hey bob, im one of the guilty parties who throws all my found clad into a big jar with my other change. a rinse in water is all it gets. then i wait a while, and insert the ugly with the good into rolls. if its rotten or bent, its thrown away; all others go into rolls. the way i see it, uncle sam and the banks issued it for us to use; weve already paid for it to be made to begin with, and its the banks or stores job to handle it. it is legal coinage, so spend it. no need to buy an expensive and time consuming tumbler to clean change youve already worked out the ground and paid to make to boot. just my 2 cents, hh,
teleman2525
New member
n/t
Well I use a tumbler to clean the coins, I purchased a tumbler from Harbor Freight, the tumbler is made of rubber type material which is a new problem, Makes the coins blackish in color.
but easy to over come, I lined the canister with a peace of plastic that i cut from a coffee can also cover the bottom of canister with flat peace plastic, then I use fine gravel (plane no colored) Aquarium gravel, or torpedo gravel ,, then I add a little laundry soap About 1 table spoon, an Add water to the top of the gravel and coins. And tumbler till clean , I ( change ) Or wash the gravel a couple times an ck the coins, some coins need more cleaning than others,,, the last step I use pine bedding (wood shavings) that i get at the pet center, to polish the coins the wood shavings makes them look like new Never do silver clad coins with the Penny's or the turn Pink as for as the zinc Penny's they look OK, and then I take them to the store that has a coin machine an get rid of them, the machines will take coins that are in bad shape most of the time ,, the last time I put $ 56.00 in coins and it only rejected 4 Penny's
I use the Liquid Landry soap It is low foaming,,
but easy to over come, I lined the canister with a peace of plastic that i cut from a coffee can also cover the bottom of canister with flat peace plastic, then I use fine gravel (plane no colored) Aquarium gravel, or torpedo gravel ,, then I add a little laundry soap About 1 table spoon, an Add water to the top of the gravel and coins. And tumbler till clean , I ( change ) Or wash the gravel a couple times an ck the coins, some coins need more cleaning than others,,, the last step I use pine bedding (wood shavings) that i get at the pet center, to polish the coins the wood shavings makes them look like new Never do silver clad coins with the Penny's or the turn Pink as for as the zinc Penny's they look OK, and then I take them to the store that has a coin machine an get rid of them, the machines will take coins that are in bad shape most of the time ,, the last time I put $ 56.00 in coins and it only rejected 4 Penny's
I use the Liquid Landry soap It is low foaming,,
jimjimmyjames
New member
I am cheap so I use what I get for free. Driveway gravel/Sand in a tumbler. Fill tumbler half full of coins and then add a couple scoops of grinding mixture and water and let it rip. I then add the pocket change from my change jug and give them to the bank. Sure some are discolored, but then every time I get a discolored coin at the gas station I think about the circle of money.
johnnynelson
New member
Harbor Freight tools, sells 2 different tumblers (1 drum and 2 drum models), copper on one side, silver on the other side at the same time tumbling, never mix copper with silver in the same container. At your local pet store get a bag of aquarium gravel, I reccomend pounding it with a hammer, to a finer grit. buy a container of CPR cleaner, bought from any grocery store, fill the drum about 1/3 full. Put in a small handful of the gravel. Most coins only need about 10 minutes of tumbling.
rinse coins in water, and wipe dry.
My bank (Wells Fargo) gives away free plastic coin bags, on the front with a permanent marker write number of pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters, and what ever other coins you have. It has a place for your name and account number, tear off the top of the bag for your receipt. (The bag is serialized), give to the bank teller, they sent it to the nearest Federal Reserve bank for coin verification and automatically credit your accont.
Reccomend buying the Red Book on American coins, and studying it. Although most coin dealers are legitimate, some aren't. When taking coins to a coin dealer, NEVER, let the coin out of your sight.
I have also on a few coins, put them in a empty plastic prescription bottle, for every ounce of vinegar, or lemon juice add 1 teaspoon of salt, add the lid and gently shake to let the salt dissolve. Let stand and skake again every few minutes, rinse coins with water, and wipe dry.
I hope this helps, all of the newcomers to this fun, and fascinating hobby.
rinse coins in water, and wipe dry.
My bank (Wells Fargo) gives away free plastic coin bags, on the front with a permanent marker write number of pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters, and what ever other coins you have. It has a place for your name and account number, tear off the top of the bag for your receipt. (The bag is serialized), give to the bank teller, they sent it to the nearest Federal Reserve bank for coin verification and automatically credit your accont.
Reccomend buying the Red Book on American coins, and studying it. Although most coin dealers are legitimate, some aren't. When taking coins to a coin dealer, NEVER, let the coin out of your sight.
I have also on a few coins, put them in a empty plastic prescription bottle, for every ounce of vinegar, or lemon juice add 1 teaspoon of salt, add the lid and gently shake to let the salt dissolve. Let stand and skake again every few minutes, rinse coins with water, and wipe dry.
I hope this helps, all of the newcomers to this fun, and fascinating hobby.
teleman2525
New member
n/t