Cleaning coins ?what to use please?

[spaceman41]

Hi hunters please can you tell me whats the best way of cleaning old bronze/copper coins ?.Ive heard soak them in Coca Cola/Pepsi or vinegar or citric acid but please tell me the correct way many thanks and happy hunting JP

 

[Mega]

Cannot advice you on cleaning coins,but as a general rule all i do is use a very soft toothbrush under a tap and thats it,have seen many a nice valuable coins be ruined by cleaning them,if its of course modern coinage from a beach that would not be to bad i guess but using any form of abrasive or chemicals can kill old coins,coin dealers do not like to see coins cleaned.

For me the good old soft toothbrush under a running tap is still the best and safest way,of course you can do what ever you like with them as they are your finds but you have been warned.

 

[spaceman41]

Thankyou Mega B,I did look up some info on it and some say vinegar and salt,seems all the coins I find are so worn recently and Ive not been luck enough to find any gold or silvers or any in good condition .Still early days

 

[PostalTwo]

I use hot hydrogen peroxide to clean copper coins. I put some in a shot glass an heat it in the microwave. I like it because it does not take off the patina on the coin and cleans it well.

 

[spaceman41]

Cheers I can imagine you have to be very careful with that stuff too? best regards,John

 

[daddyflea]

I am lucky because I have a complete reloading setup. Clad coins get thrown into the tumbler with Stainless Steel tumbling media. This filled with water and liquid dishwashing soap completely cleans them in about two hours. Use a section of hardware cloth to separate the media from the coins.