I did some cleaning testing...........

[Rosco Bookbinder]

I got one of those small rock tumblers to clean coins and have tried some different ways using information from this forum. Here is what I did with a batch of good pennies that were dirty and some stains that needed cleaned enough to roll for the bank, spend or use at a "green coin machine" at the store. From what I found out, the dirtier or worse they are you just need to do them a bit longer....

The recipe for this batch was as follows..

The pennies
Just enough aquarium rock (size just bigger than of a piece of rice)
Cup of Simple Green
Water to cover the rock

For these pennies I let the tumbler run 3 hours 10 minutes.

They came out really good.

 

[DavHut]

... as it is now, I just knock the crud off them and roll em up.

 

[John 'n' W.Va]

you mean you have to clean those things before you roll them!

 

[jackinaustin]

If you like, try my tumbling method. It takes me an hour to do my coins. Put coins in tumbler, fill to about 1/2 over coins with water, add a small squirt of your wifes dish soap and a small amount of sand. Done in an hour or less. Keep pennies seperate from silvr (clad).

 

[prodrigsr]

Ones I find are a heck of alot dirtier.

 

[Uncle Willy]

You forgot one ingredient - half of a brillo pad.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

How would you like to be the person at the bank to have to unroll them?


Bill

 

[Rosco Bookbinder]

I have read about using sand also. I can see where that might work a bit faster. Thing about using the small aquarium gravel is you can reuse it. The sand has to be thrown out.

 

[Rosco Bookbinder]

The brillo pad thing will probably work best on really nasty coins. These were just dirty and maybe a bit stained. And all were found under ground or deep in the grass. Not just laying on the sidewalk.

 

[DavHut]

I may have to get one just for the cool factor.

 

[Uncle Willy]

Harbor Freight has some good ones on sale often real cheap.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

Yeah all the coins here that have been in the ground for a spell are nearly unrecognizeable.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

Yeah that gravel can last forever.

Bill

 

[DavHut]

...From ebay for 22$ THe shippng was stoopid and I coulda ended up saving $5 fromHarbor, but what the hell. Im looking ofrwaurd to trying this thing out on my mountains of grubby coins. (Well, maybe not mountains; more like piles. Well, not really piles, either; more like...well. okay, a few handfuls).

I got the 3 pounder, too. SinceI dont live in Canada, I didnt see the need for one of the mega size ones.

 

[Uncle Willy]

Yeah I've mentioned Harbor Freight several times as a source for inexpensive tumblers. Now you can clean those puppies up. Boy I've got a mountain of them to tumble.

Bill