How do you clean green wheat pennies ?

[madmikegolf]

I know you're not suppose to clean coins but I can't even read anything on the front or back of the green wheat pennies in the attached photo. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[BillF]

As in a previous post, most wheats just aren't worth much more than .05¢.
Sometimes you get lucky and find a key date but those are few and far between. Since you can't see any date you might be better off leaving them alone.

 

[sprchng]

Make an electrolysis rig out of an old cell phone charger and stick them in for an hour or two then used a stiff nylon brush and you should be able to at least get a date. You can do a search and find numerous sites with the instructions

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I pick up brass bristle brushes at Harbor Freight. Brass is softer than copper so it will remove the build up enough to see if there is a visible date.

 

[daddyflea]

Frankly I have tried all kinds of things myself. I got a bunch and I am going to tumble them in steel media. If they turn out readable. I will pick the best ones and put them in a case. Otherwise off to the Bank or coinstar.

 

[BillF]

Don't do that. Roll them up and stick them on eBay for $4-5 a roll. People buy them up for their coin books.
Sure beats a penny apiece.

Frankly I have tried all kinds of things myself. I got a bunch and I am going to tumble them in steel media. If they turn out readable. I will pick the best ones and put them in a case. Otherwise off to the Bank or coinstar.

 

[daddyflea]

Don't do that. Roll them up and stick them on eBay for $4-5 a roll. People buy them up for their coin books.
Sure beats a penny apiece.

Frankly I have tried all kinds of things myself. I got a bunch and I am going to tumble them in steel media. If they turn out readable. I will pick the best ones and put them in a case. Otherwise off to the Bank or coinstar.

Now that is an idea.

 

[BillF]

If you have any extra IHs, put one in the end, you'll get an extra couple bucks out of each roll.

 

[Scotty (Upstate NY)]

Brass will scratch copper even if it is softer. Don't ever use one metal to clean another unless you don't care about preserving its collectible value.

Any penny with green on it has corroded and lost some base metal. The thicker the green layer the more pitted and corroded the penny. If you find a penny with a thin coat of green(less damaged) and want to avoid damaging it further, start out soaking in warm/hot water and dish soap. After soaking, you may use a soft bristled tooth brush. Electrolysis works also.

If penny has thick layer of green, chances are good that the coin is not worth much even if it is a key date. Many times these coins will be so far corroded that the date is not readable.

Olive oil is also a decent cleaning agent depending on the extent of the corrosion.

 

[daddyflea]

I posted here about Tumbling them with Steel Media http://www.findmall.com/read.php?91,2171900

Notice the Penny looks pitted. These Coins were unreadable just like the ones above. I say clean them and enjoy them. If a Collector does not want to buy them then keep them or spend them. They are worth nothing in that kind of condition anyway. I found that nothing else really works. I tried everything including Ultrasonic cleaning. Just tumble them.

 

[Scotty (Upstate NY)]

If you have any extra IHs, put one in the end, you'll get an extra couple bucks out of each roll.

that seems a bit misleading, Bill

 

[BillF]

No Scotty, not at all. Your listing the wheat cent roll with an IH as an added bonus. They sell thousands of these this way and usually get $7+ a roll.
Its just another way to get a little more out of all those coins we all toss in a container. After 40 years of detecting I have 1000's of wheats and other odds and ends that I won't do anything with otherwise.

If you have any extra IHs, put one in the end, you'll get an extra couple bucks out of each roll.

that seems a bit misleading, Bill

 

[Scotty (Upstate NY)]

No Scotty, not at all. Your listing the wheat cent roll with an IH as an added bonus. They sell thousands of these this way and usually get $7+ a roll.
Its just another way to get a little more out of all those coins we all toss in a container. After 40 years of detecting I have 1000's of wheats and other odds and ends that I won't do anything with otherwise.

If you have any extra IHs, put one in the end, you'll get an extra couple bucks out of each roll.

that seems a bit misleading, Bill

Now that makes sense and sounds like a great idea once you explained it, Bill. Thank you, sir.

 

[tvanwho]

I sold a green 1864 2 cent piece for $ 30 bucks at a coin show to a dealer who asked if that was enough ? He was selling black ,green, and tarnished coins and color didn't seem to matter as long as the details were sharp, which mine was. Don't discount the coin value due to the color !!! My coin dealer buddy tried to get it off me for $5, nice friend???

-Tom

 

[coinhunterseth]

I sold a green 1864 2 cent piece for $ 30 bucks at a coin show to a dealer who asked if that was enough ? He was selling black ,green, and tarnished coins and color didn't seem to matter as long as the details were sharp, which mine was. Don't discount the coin value due to the color !!! My coin dealer buddy tried to get it off me for $5, nice friend???

-Tom

I'd bet you had the small motto version that is worth a lot more than that.

 

[tvanwho]

I was happy to get $30 for a supposed $5 green coin? What's a small motto version or will I be kicking myself for the next few years for not holding out?

-Tom

 

[Rick N. MI]

I soak mine overnight in hydrogen peroxide. it bubbles and the green comes off with no apparent damage to the coin. Then put some olive oil on it for a little while. Electrolysis is to harsh for a coin. I quit using it on coins.

You also can try just soaking it in olive for a few days.

Rick

 

[daddyflea]

I soak mine overnight in hydrogen peroxide. it bubbles and the green comes off with no apparent damage to the coin. Then put some olive oil on it for a little while. Electrolysis is to harsh for a coin. I quit using it on coins.

You also can try just soaking it in olive for a few days.

Rick

I tried that along with Peroxide in a an Ultrasonic Cleaner. Did not work at all for me.

 

[mudpuppy]

I sell all my wheat pennies generally just raw tumbled to knock the stink off to an old guy who lives across the street for 3c each!...made $6 bucks off that old dude last year!
Mud

 

[BillF]

Whoa,whoa,whoa, hold on their pardner. You would take advantage of a helpless old duffer like that? $6? What if he can't afford the 4:00 buffet now?
Mud, you should feel ashamed.

I sell all my wheat pennies generally just raw tumbled to knock the stink off to an old guy who lives across the street for 3c each!...made $6 bucks off that old dude last year!
Mud