How do you clean copper?

[landman]

With water hunting there are a variety of muck and dirt that presents itself on coins. I have a copper penny with tarnish (black) in spots. What is a non evasive way to clean it? vinegar and hot water?

 

[nanwate7]

A friend found a coin with potential to be worth up to $80,000, and the grading co. wouldn't grade it because "it had been cleaned". All they did was soak in soapy water, and brush with a soft brush!

 

[Shuffler]

copper really corrodes in soil...(especially here in Pennsylvania, anyhow )....there is not much you can do...I soak them in olive oil but they don't seem to get any better..... at least yer findin cool stuff anyhow.......nice find........Gene

 

[Ron Lord]

n/t

 

[treasurefiend]

DON"T USE THIS METHOD ON COPPER!!!!!!! It works great on cleaning nickels, but it will destroy copper. I tried it on a penny and now it looks like %@&$!!!
I also tried it on a Buffalo Nickel and it worked great.

If its a valuable coin I wouldn't do anything but warm water rinse and soak. The bad thing about slabbing companies is that they either will put "cleaned" or will not grade them, and if you do nothing they will put "environmental damage" or will not grade them.

 

[jerryhartlein]

There is a web site called Go Metal Detecting.com. On the home page, there's a topic called clean your find on the left vertical column. They have a bunch of different methods including a very simple electrolysis cleaning. Check it out.

 

[Daniel A.]

The best solution for pennies that I've found is red wine vinegar and water not sure why but the results are amazing at least in the tumbler. For something old and maybe valuable I don't know that I would but every day clad no problem and I tried regular white vinegar with totally different results I'm sold on this method. Dan