Need Tumbling Coin Advice

[Anonymous]

I finally filled my 3 lb. coffee can to the top with junk coins; clads & memorials. Now I need to tumble them, as some of them are pretty sad looking. I would appreciate any tips, such as solutions to tumble them in. My goal was to fill this can to the top and when that day arrived, clean them, count them, roll them, cash them in, and buy an old gold coin. That day has come. Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[Anonymous]

Joe,
There are several differnt ways of doing this, but the one I have been doing that works the best and the cheapest.seperate the clads from the copper pennies, as they should be done seperate. I take and tumble them with the aquarium gravel with water to cover the coins and add about 1/8 cup of Real Lemon juice (brand Name)and tumble for a hour to 2 hours.
I have made my self a stainer that I have a 1/2 gallon plastic ice cream container with big holes i drilled in the bottom for the gravel to fall though to seperate the coins from the gravel. I put this container inside a larger 5 quart ice cream pail with smaller holes so the gravel will be seperated from the liguid.When done tumbleing I put the containers in the sink and dump my tumbler in it with the water running, pick up the smaller container and shake it until all the coins are in this container and the gravel is in the bottom container. Now I will dump the coins on a towel and let dry and take the container with the gravel in it and dump back into the tumbler and ready for the next batch.
You will get some that wont clean up very good or may have to tumble them twice, I just pick out the ones that dont look to good and will tumble them all later for 3 hours or so.
Over all most look like new when done with a few that look redish or spotty.
The Real lemon juice I get at Sams club for $4.95 for 3 quarts.
Rick

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help Rick. I've got to go to Sam's today so I'll pick up some Real lemon juice. Thanks again.

 

[Anonymous]

You can go to post office and us the machine to buy stamps it only will take $25.00 then give you stamps plus change in new dollars. Won't take corr. pennies they gam the machine.

 

[Anonymous]

[No message]

 

[Anonymous]

Joe the lemon juice works well but I found citric acid powder even better probably because you can make a really strong solution.You can buy this from your local store. I put four teaspoons of powder into about two cups of water then just left the coins sitting in it ,no tumbling, and the crud just dissolved overnight .Washed them of and left with a reddish tinge. This could probably be tumbled off.