Cleaning clad coins

[whackidoodle]

I use a mix of vinegar and salt to clean off the grime. Often it will seem to bleed copper onto the nickel surface though. Anyone know of a different way? A tumbler with various beads perhaps?

 

[BarberDan]

There is no way, that I know, to stop the "bleeding" I always clean Quarters, Dimes and nickels together.....then clean the pennies separately.

 

[whackidoodle]

I do them separate too... seems to help a little. I might try a light buffing and then use a porcelain bead shaker.

 

[whackidoodle]

-- moved topic --

 

[:Left4Dead]

if you just bring them to walmart the coin machine cleans them..

 

[Ed Steinhoff]

I always clean the pennies separate from the rest. My recipe is three hours in the rock tumbler with fish tank gravel, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, three tablespoons of lemon juice and a half cap full of low sudsing detergent. they come out shining like new!

 

[Thound]

I don't mess with cleaning coins anymore. Toll roads and vending machines don't care.

 

[PokerShark]

I don't mess with cleaning coins anymore. Toll roads and vending machines don't care.

I find quite a bit of clad. That is more vending machines than my waistline can cope with and the last toll I paid with those chocolate colored quarters garnered a look from the toll collector like I had just laid a cow chip in her hand! I think I will stick with my tumbler and fish tank gravel. But I will add the vinegar and lemon juice to the existing detergent I use.

The Shark

 

[Jason in Enid]

I use a mix of vinegar and salt to clean off the grime. Often it will seem to bleed copper onto the nickel surface though. Anyone know of a different way? A tumbler with various beads perhaps?

Here is one way to do it.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8eale9yLrY[/video]

 

[whackidoodle]

You guys are too funny! I had a similar experience using coins that I'd found to pay for stuff. The clerk thought that my dimes were pennies!! I think she was wondering what the hell I did to them. I kinda like your Walmart coin machine idea Left4dead...

 

[wasp]

I use a tumbler with aquarium gravel, liquid dish soap, and ammonia to clean my coins. I always clean my coins before spending them.

I figure, why pass off dirty discolored coins and give the hobby another black eye.

I detected them. I dug them. It's my responsibility to clean them before putting them back into circulation. It isn't difficult and doesn't take much of my time.

 

[Blank Planet]

I use a mix of vinegar and salt to clean off the grime. Often it will seem to bleed copper onto the nickel surface though. Anyone know of a different way? A tumbler with various beads perhaps?

Here is one way to do it.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8eale9yLrY[/video]

is this your video?

if so did gas build up in the tumbler and blow the lid off?

lime away is 40 odd % Hydrochloric (Muriatic) Acid which is pretty strong stuff used mainly for pH levels in pools gold guys use it to get nuggets nice and clean and looking "gold" if it didn't blow the lid off the tumbler with gas build up i might try this myself just get some Hydrochloric (Muriatic) Acid from your local pool shop but please wear gloves, mask and goggles when using it , and read all instructions even lime away has a huge list of places NOT to use it ! so while this stuff works please use the utmost caution please!!

BP

 

[Jason in Enid]

Nope, no gas pressure.

 

[whackidoodle]

Anyone know what people use for cleaning old coins to preserve them numismatically speaking? I haven't found anything like that yet, but I would anticapate that sooner or later and I know I will want to do it myself. I'm not patient or rich enough to bring it to some expert. (unless I know I have something that's really worth the trouble)

 

[wasp]

A good loooooong soak in olive oil.

 

[whackidoodle]

Wow! No kidding? I never would have thought that... No scrubbing of any kind either then? Just a good rinse of soap and water afterward?

 

[Jason in Enid]

I'd like to know what olive oil these people are using. I have tried it and the only thing I got from it was a dirty, cruddy, oily coin.

 

[jlw]

I don't even use a tumbler put it all in a plastic gal milk jug add a little dish detergent shake it for about fifteen minutes take it to my bank done.

 

[ramer]

For coins and bronze or copper relics that have some possible value I just soak them in a bowl of warm water with a few table spoons of vinager and some dish detergent for a few hours, maybe even a few days to soften up the hardened cement like crust. I then use a pointed toothpick to gently, VERY, gently scrap off the residue from the center to the edge of the coin/relic. Moisten the object being cleaned often as you use the toothpick. I also use a jewelers loop during this process. Using this process, I was able to restore an 1868 Indian Head to a beautiful green patina. Books says it worth about 40 or 50 bucks in its current condition. When I dug it, it was unrecognizable.
For ordinary coins I just use a tumbler loaded with fish tank gravel, some vinager, dish detergent, and let it run an hour or two. Gets the coins clean enough to use in vending machines without jamming the coin mechanisms. The pennies, dimes and nickles I just use as change over the counter for purchases. The clerks no longer have to stare at the coins as though they were from Mars.