Olive oil for coins, any suggestions.

[Yarrum]

Hi all, just wondering the reason and the effectiveness of soaking coins in olive oil. Does it stop them tarnishing? Does it clean the rubbish off them? How long does it take? And does it work for all types of coins and other metals?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

HH

[CobLover]

Hi all, just wondering the reason and the effectiveness of soaking coins in olive oil. Does it stop them tarnishing? Does it clean the rubbish off them? How long does it take? And does it work for all types of coins and other metals?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

HH

This has been debated for years and will probably continue to be debated for another century or so. The old method was to use olive oil. Today I use distilled water soaks as a starting point. If this doesn't work I move on to increasingly aggressive means.

Personally I don't like olive oil on my coins. I've found it usually does little good and is simply messy.

The whole idea behind cleaning an artifact is to preserve it and hopefully make it look better in the long run. This means removing some or all of the corrosion, drying the item, and then sealing it so air can't get at it and distroy more metal.

Over the years I've cleaned my own coins and relics mainly because I wanted to be sure they were genuine, not so much because I enjoy doing it.

I'm sure this issue gets discussed often so I'll leave off here. I'd suggest reading all that has been posted and then learn with coins you can afford to ruin.

Cob

[Yarrum]

Thanks for your input cob, much appreciated. I guess I shoulda looked through previous posts first. . I might try the distilled water and see how it goes.
The copper coins I am finding round here are in clay ground and come out really cruddy. They are 1 and 2 cent pieces from 1966 onwards.
At the end of the day they are common enough that I could probably just use "Brasso" to polish them up. My question was mainly for when I find something predecimal .
ONE DAY.
Thanks again
HH

[cryptodave]

Yarum, if they aren't valuable and you want to get the gunk off of them, shove it in a potato for a day. The starch eats the gunk off pretty well, then just brush it off with a toothbrush and water. (My next step is to put it olive oil, but that will get people coming out of the woodworks saying negative about OO, so I won't tell you thats what I do... )

[hollowpointred]

if they are just modern coins, get yourself a coin tumbler. you can clean a lot at a time and they come out looking great!

[Yarrum]

if they aren't valuable and you want to get the gunk off of them, shove it in a potato for a day.

Definately have to try that one, never heard of it before

if they are just modern coins, get yourself a coin tumbler. you can clean a lot at a time and they come out looking great!

I tried the tumbler at work for about 3 hours the other day on some Aussie 1 & 2 cent pieces, the edges came up shiny but bugger all else . The rocks that it uses are actually metal, maybe lead pellets. Maybe it would go better with proper stones.

Thanks for your input guys
HH

[Iskuli]

Hold the phone....a potato? Seriously? I have a bu-zillion pennies (2 years worth) that need to be cleaned.....I have tried a lot of different things. What is the best, meaning most effective, way to clean pennies?

thanks,

[cryptodave]

Hold the phone....a potato? Seriously? I have a bu-zillion pennies (2 years worth) that need to be cleaned.....I have tried a lot of different things. What is the best, meaning most effective, way to clean pennies?

thanks,

Seriously.

Potato, not just for home fries anymore. Shove the pennies in a potato for a day, then use a toothbrush.

[Iskuli]

Sounds like a double dog dare to me. I will try it tonight and report tomorrow afternoon.

[Nate in Ohio]

You know Yarrum, I think I have personally found olive oil to be ineffective until AFTER I clean my coins by other means. I usually only clean pennies, with ammonia. Scwabbing the coin with ammonia really gets the dirt off (not encrusted stuff, but pretty much everything else). With the dirt gone, the olive oil helps the coin's color look not so washed out. That's just what works for me. GL

[Yarrum]

I think you've got a point there. I've tried it now for a couple of weeks with no visible success.
I have however been using an electrolysis machine that I made which works quite well. I think once done with the machine, I might put them back in the oil to seal them with a protective coat.
The ammonia sounds like a good idea too, I'll have to give it a burl.

HH

[SC_hunter]

Hold the phone....a potato? Seriously? I have a bu-zillion pennies (2 years worth) that need to be cleaned.....I have tried a lot of different things. What is the best, meaning most effective, way to clean pennies?

thanks,

Seriously.

Potato, not just for home fries anymore. Shove the pennies in a potato for a day, then use a toothbrush.

Loooooookkkkkooooouuuuuttttt potato..here comes some pennies today..I gotta try that one..

[cryptodave]

Guys, just read Andy Sabichs book on detecting with Minelab or somethig or other. He clearly states that if the item is lightly incrusted use olive oil, if a little heavier use worcestershire sauce, and if very heavy crude stick in a potato for a week or so.

I don't make these things up, and I have tested the potato on several buttons and currently a 1890 indian head that you could only make out the top of the headress and the date, the rest being conceled with a heavy snd "cement". It seems to be taking the cement off fairly well, however, I suggest only using a soft toothbrush to clean with, because it will take the patina off, and even wear details off if you scrub too hard with a harder brush.

[SC_hunter]

Crypto, As soon as I posted my reply..I found a potato and have 5 coins stuck in it as we speak....They were crusty clad pennies but I sure hope it works..I will let you know how mine turn out..