Cleaning your JUNK COINS! Rev-1

[Chaz]

Your opinion is important. Help me update this file.

If your coin is JUNK, then read on:

1st. Remove ALL Dirt & Grime: Soak coins in boiling hot water with lots of baking soda.
ALSO...Try Goo-Gone Or Acetone. ( Or you could soak them in mineral oil for about 6 months to 1 year )

2nd. Remove TOUGH STAINS: Use a pensile eraser to remove tough stains & carbon spots.
NOTE: The harder you rub, the more scratches you will leave.

3rd. Remove OXIDATION: Make a simple Hydrochloric Acid solution of: Pure White Vinegar and a small amount of Table Salt, stir for 30 secs, then add coins.
Within 2 to 10 seconds, your pennies should turn a PINKISH color. (Don't leave them in solution too long=5minutes, or pitting will occur & your coin is ruined.)

4th. NEUTRALIZE the ACID: by boiling hot water with some baking soda for 1 minute.

5th. Remove all BAKING SODA FILM: by rinsing 5x (or more) under hot TAP WATER (takes about 3-5 minutes).

6th. Prevent WATER STAINS: by Drying them with a bath towel by patting them and not rubbing.

7th. To remove the Oxidation that had occurred from the dipping process, I had to LIGHTLY use a pencil eraser again. (HEAVY ERASURE will leave scratches)

8th. RESTORE TONING: Place the coins on a window sill (for several months to a year) with the window cracked open and hope for rain.
NOTE: Place a Non PVC plastic cover over the coins, to keep dirt & pollen from resting on the coins surface.
ALSO NOTE: Temperature & humidity play an important role in the oxidation process.

9th. I then re-examine the item, and if it still shows spots, then I re-evaluate for another QUICK re-dipping process.
NOTE: Deep Carbon spots on Copper, are very difficult for me to remove! ( I Need Help in this area)
Using a pencil erasure while the coin is in hydrochloric Acid solution helps greatly.

10th Ways to PRESERVE the new look: Store in air-tite container, Slabs, coin-care finnish, or lacquer coating.

ANYWAY, Hope this helped. Keep in touch.
Good Luck,
Chuck

[eagames]

Welcome to the forum!

The biggest problem from harsh cleaning is the tone probably will never look natural. Unless a coin was dug up or something it's best to stop after just acetone, goo gone and mineral oil soaking.

[Rhubarb]

Chuck,

That is a nice synopsis of different way's to "Bathe" a coin to help preserve it's original state. I prefer the word Bathe since cleaning doesn't go so well with coin collectors.

Welcome to the Forum!


David

[Bob P]

Chaz did mention that this was a way to clean JUNK coins. If you have any doubts about the collectibility of a coin, do not clean them like this, but rather use the safer methods.

[fiddle-fart]

I was watching the science channel and the 2 guys from myth busters tried a experiment using cola to clean coins vs phosphurus acid. the cola worked good. anybody tried it?

[Bob P]

The cola cleaning did clean up the coins, but since it uses acids it completely changes the patina. This is not a good idea.

[eagames]

I'm cleaning a non junk coin today! Oh NO!!!!

It's a 23-s that looks like it was in a can of red paint.
It looks very nice and maybe like it was about unc or better when painted so I'm trying acetone to get it off without hurting the coin.

I'll try getting a pic to see if it looks gradable after paint removal.

[eagames]

Still soaking it!

It cleaned up nice but after rinsing it I still see a bit of something almost like laquer but no color so it's back soaking.