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Simply hold your copper penny by its edges between your thumb and forefinger, then dip its entire surface into a small bowl of freshly squeezed lemon juice. But if you do really want to get stuck in and have a go at cleaning some coins, we recommend that you experiment on some modern loose change instead. If it works for you, stick with it. One of the simplest ways to clean coins is by using distilled water and a soft towel. So my suggestion would be to take a random corroded penny that you dont care about, and try this cleaning method. Soak the coins for 12 hours. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. I know it sounds strange, but stay with me. Some are damaged by contact with other coins, general circulation, or being buried in the ground for many years. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. At this stage, the corrosion on the pennies mustve reacted with the lemon and salt solution, so it is time for you to start removing them from the container. Make sure that you continue to stir in the salt until it dissolves, then place the pennies in so that they are not stacked in any way. Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean coins? Let us move on to how to clean wheat pennies you intend to keep or sell yourself without any type of professional grading service. This article was co-authored by Alicia Sokolowski. Dont make the mistake of using something meant for regular coins on something older and more condition sensitive. Finally, take the pennies out and rinse them off using distilled water. How to clean green corroded copper coins Mix cup vinegar with 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl that is non-metallic. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Create a mixture using -cup vinegar of lemon juice and a teaspoon of table salt together into a bowl. How do you clean old copper coins without damaging them? "Knowing how to safely clean copper is big time helpful. Warm distilled water can be used to clean coins. This natural acid can be used to clean coins, pots and pans, and more. After a good shake, take the coins out and rinse them off. Soak your quarters in lemon juice. If you feel that it needs longer, you can soak it for up to 15 minutes. They can eliminate or reduce the effects of outside contaminates that have caused issues with your coins. Grab some past with your thumb and forefinger, rubbing it gently onto both sides of the penny. Continue to slowly add water to the baking soda until it takes on the consistency of paste. This fact makes it all the more important for you to know how to clean corroded pennies, especially if youve found a few wheat pennies from metal detecting. After youve cleaned off any grime or other contaminants from your coins surface, its time for step two: cleaning out any crevices that could have collected dust or dirt over time. Acids wear away copper, so exposing a coin to vinegar and other products can cause permanent damage. Remember, you can always try cleaning a coin again, but you cant reverse mistakes. You can clean as many pennies you want with a single pencil eraser. Clean pennies with Vinegar and Salt NurdRage 664K views 10 years ago How to CLEAN coins HardCoreCopper 43K views 1 year ago Coin Collecting : How Do I Clean Dirty Coins?. Vinegar is most effective for cleaning copper. Keep your coins in a stable, cool, dry location. Anyone can use this simple technique. It is okay to stop at the fourth step, but if some of the pennies dont get clean after you use the paper towel to clean them, you can put them back into the solution and soak for an extra five minutes. Dab some yellow mustard onto a cotton ball or soft cloth and rub firmly over the entire surface of the coin until it starts turning darker than usualthis means that its working! Heat safe container. The citrus juices are acidic, and mixed with salt, can remove corrosion and debris from wheat pennies. Listerine and other antiseptic mouthwashes can clean dirt, oil, and debris from old coins. How do I choose between my boyfriend and my best friend? Use distilled water because chemicals in tap water may cause discoloration. They were initially made of bronze, a 95 percent copper alloy. Then mix gently until the salt totally dissolves in the lemon juice. EBay, one of the most popular online auction sites, charges a 10 percent fee plus listing fees. Wheat pennies are a relatively common find when metal detecting. Again, use small circular motions, scrubbing the entirety of the coin for a minute or so. Passchal.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.comSitemap | Contact | Privacy Policy. This article has been viewed 60,522 times. 1 1/2 cups olive oil. [3] 4 When you clean via any method, you are clearing off small parts of the penny surface along with the corrosion, so a slight change in the appearance of the pennies is actually inevitable. Hot sauce and brown colas are some other household substances that work well on copper coins. Its important to note that cleaning tarnish off valuable or rare coins can greatly affect their value. Coins / February 17, 2021 by Walt / Leave a Comment. Dont use steel wool or abrasive chemicals to clean your penny, as this could damage the metal. Like vinegar, ammonia has a strong chemical odor, so you may want to wear gloves when cleaning with this method. Copper, silver, nickel, and gold coins should strictly never be cleaned. Step 2 Add a teaspoon of salt to the bowl full of vinegar, and stir the mixture until the salt is completely dissolved. The right materials will effectively clean your pennies and will also be safe for your hands. There are a variety of cleaning methods for wheat pennies. Rinse them off after soaking them in vinegar so they dont reabsorb any of that dirt onto themselves! Overall, cleaning a copper penny is not that difficult most of the time, and any of the methods listed above will be sure to get the job done right. This is the important part: rinse with distilled, not tap water. Its a very interesting question and a great DIY project. In many cases, cleaning a coin can lower the value of the coin as a collectors item. There will be times when you think your coin is clean, only to discover later that its still dirty. Before you begin cleaning, sort through the coins to determine which coins need the most work. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. If you have questions, always seek the help of a professional coin cleaner and coin grading service. Repeat this process as many times as necessary before allowing the coins to air dry. Use a stronger acid like ketchup or cola to strip away the green patina that forms when copper is exposed to salt and water. If you are keeping them for sentimental value or for your own personal collection, you may certainly clean them. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. % of people told us that this article helped them. Rinse the coins with fresh water after 24 hours and let them air dry. [1] 2 Add enough acetic acid (vinegar, white vinegar is most recommended) to moisten the salt into a paste. Soak the coins in the lemon solution for up to one hour. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. If youve ever discovered gold jewelry in the woods or beach before, then you likely stumbled upon jewelry that was quite dirty and in need, Read More How to Clean Gold Jewelry With Vinegar Without Any DamageContinue, Wheat pennies are a relatively common find when metal detecting. Salt and vinegar combinations have been used to clean coins for many yearsthis method is actually on display in one of the earlier videos I shared above. Last Updated: November 9, 2022 Never rub or scrub coins which have numismatic value. Garret ACE 300 Review Admittedly, this one is hard to see working well, so I always suggest testing brand new coin cleaning methods on a coin you care absolutely nothing about. For a stronger treatment, let the coins soak in oil for about a day, then scrub them with a soft toothbrush. You can also find protective books which have individual sleeves for each coin. The key is to first know what kind of coin you have. Approved. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Ammonia is another option that can be used to clean copper pennies. For a safer way to remove stubborn debris and make a coin shine, rub it gently with a little bit of vegetable oil. In 1943, the composition changed to zinc plated steel due to the need for copper during World War II. This is a simple, inexpensive method that works well on pennies that arent too tarnished. In a small container, place a small amount of table-salt (1 gram is plenty). Its best to wear rubber gloves when handling the ketchup and penny because they can both leave your hands stained red if you arent careful! But if you simply want to clean the coins for non-commercial reasons (for example, you just want a bunch of cleaned pennies youve found to become part of your coin collection), the vinegar/lemon juice method will be good enough. Vinegar and salt. 2 Pour a few ounces of vinegar into a shallow dish. Copper, silver, nickel, and gold coins should strictly never be cleaned. For tips on how to shine your coins with baking soda, read on! Some of these have relatively sound science behind them, but they should be used at your own risk. But, if you are in doubt about how to clean your pennies, it is a good idea to leave them alone or consult a rare coin specialist before you begin the cleaning process. NEVER drink the solution that was used to clean the pennies. To clean using this method, place your coins in a small plastic container, fill with enough hydrogen peroxide to cover, and soak for 24 hours. By using our site, you agree to our. If you are planning to keep the coins for your own collection, you may certainly clean them as you see fit. Ketchup is composed of vinegar, salt, and tomatoes. ", "It is so amazing, the power of baking soda and vinegar.". Method 1 Removing Dark Spots with Vinegar Download Article 1 Pour 14 cup (59 mL) of white vinegar into a small bowl. Rinse off any excess liquid with water and set aside to dry. Hydrogen peroxide can prove effective in removing various materials, including organic material. You can also opt for durable plastic holders, which can be square or round. It only requires rubbing the penny with a pencil eraser. There are also various commercial cleaners available in the market to clean your pennies, but they may prove a bit expensive if you have lots of pennies to clean. Abrasive cleaning, using a brush and an acid or alcohol solution, can leave the coin with hair lines and discrepancies in the metal that may only be seen under the right lighting and magnification. Hello internet and today i will be showing you how to clean your old coins without damaging them and I'll be cleaning my rare 1886 type 2 Indian head cent ju. Drop the pennies into the mixture for about 5 minutes. Soak for 24 hours. The wheat penny was produced until 1958, with a few changes along the way. If you have any other ideas, please share them in the comments below. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Minelab CTX 3030 Review, on How to Clean a Copper Penny:10 Tips and Advices. I like to use distilled water to clean coins if I decide to clean them. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e9\/Clean-Copper-Coins-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Clean-Copper-Coins-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e9\/Clean-Copper-Coins-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid5915095-v4-728px-Clean-Copper-Coins-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"