Okay here's what coins look like before and after I clean them

[OnionRings]

I use a rock tumbler to clean them.

Fill to cover 1/2 lemon jucie 1/2 vinager some small gravel I use my fish tank gravel tumble for 2-3 hours and they're done.

To speed process add a little sand or black sand to the mix.

Don't mix pennies with the clad coins!

Onion

[cedarratt]

Wow thats awsome hey is that one nickle blue?

[OnionRings]

No, I think it's the lighting.

Onion

[cedarratt]

Darn I wanted to make me some blue nickles....

[Mona Lisa]

Hey Onion, Are you using a 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of vinegar.....or filling it half full with lemon juice the rest of the way with vinegar
It looks like it works great.

[OnionRings]

No!
I guess at the amount but you just want to cover the coins don't fill it up to the top.

Onion

[alwayslookin]

Wow Onion..also looks like the amount of coins increased by cleaning them..I definitely am going to try that

Dave

[TORRERO]

Looks good, I've not ever really cleaned my clad before, after getting the main dirt
of them they will then work in vending machines and are spendable, so it seemed like a lot of effert.

About 2 years ago I collected all my clad that I had dug in 2-3 years of hunting and rolled it
and took it to the credit union, you could see they were dark and discolored, so I told
the teller that they needed to send then back to the mint because I was not so sure they
wanted to re-issue them back out to other customers....
I don't know what they did, but I got about $ 550.00 for them....

[nick1878]

I clean all my clad in a tumbler but I buy the chemicals that are made for it, Maybe a waste of money.
Do your dimes and quarters sometimes come out pink.

[swizzle]

***Lazy mans method for super shiny coins***
First I take my filthy dirty coins to work. Then I load up the snack machine. Then I hit return and collect my super clean shiny coins. Warning does not work with pennies and should not be tried with silver. Jason

[Comanchero]

Onion, Looks like a good method for clads especially. Wouldn't do silver or gold thataway though as I can't stand the thought of losing even the smallest atoms of silver and gold in the process! Comanchero

[dirtdevil2]

I just use the big Green Machine...then cash in my ticket.
May try the cleaning method for fun.

[Comanchero]

RPTX, Yeah, clads ain't worth the metal they are stamped on. Does rptx stand for the Republic of Texas? Just curious. Seem to be a lot of guys from Texas on this forum. Comanchero

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

Sorry i am baffled, I here you should never clean coins. This is just for rare coins and not modern clad right? Why of all things would you use a tumbler to clean coins? You know the dents and scratches that will put on the coins? Just so no newbees like me don't destroy a quality coin (NEVER CLEAN WHAT YOU MAY THINK IS A RARE OR VALUABLE COIN) Only clean Modern Clad with a tumbler! If you feel you must clean a valuable coin soak it in Olive oil for 24 hours then lightly brush off the dirt and rinse well. Am I wrong?

[Comanchero]

MUD, actually for a newbie, you nailed it pretty good.? Any coin or relic that really does look ancient or old should be cleaned by experts. ? Then you can sue them if they mess it up, for cryin' out loud! ? C.

[Gunner]

Try distilled water as well. It is "mineral hungry" and will eat away at the dirt and crusty stuff leaving the coin (and its associated patina) intact. The main thing to remember when cleaning coins is PATIENCE. I also use a Diamond Dusted Dental pick to clean. I'll see if I can find a picture of a coin that I cleaned with DI water and the Diamond Dusted Dental pick.

Gunner

[Gunner]

After cleaning. The coin is fully "silvered". Ancient coins sometimes were plated with silver over a base metal core such as copper.

Gunner