Help with cleaning old coins

[SGVALLEYMAN]

Hello everyone,

I was hoping some of the good people here could help me with some advice on cleaning some old coins My wife found in tin that had been in her mothers possession for a long time.

In the tin I found several Canadian 1800's half pennies, and one 1822 capped bust coin with the half eagle on the obverse..I believe it is a half a dollar.. the small writing on the edge is way beyond my poor eye sight..Anyway's...Is there any safe way to clean the coin and bring out more detail ?
thanks in advance.
Scott~Sgvalleyman

 

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[RGINN]

Cleaning them with anything much other than just water to wash off the dirt will lessen the numismatic value. (Some purists might argue with that) If you're not concerned with value, then you have a world of resources available. Brasso works, any good metal polish, toothpaste, baking soda, naval jelly. Use a toothbrush. They won't have much value, but they will be bright and shiny. You should consult a coin book and try to check values before you attempt any cleaning, really. Hope you have some good ones.

 

[SGVALLEYMAN]

thank you for the response...I was just so tickled pink in being able to hold a 1825 coin, and after spending so much time trying to determine exactly what it was I was hoping to find something to bring out the detail a little more.
It is so faint that just seeing the date was difficult. Thanks I may try just cleaning really good with soap and water.

Thank again,
Scott

 

[dogpound]

soapy water and a soft toothbrush is the best method..if ya really have some nasty lookin coins "bar keepers friend" works very well or drop them in some boiling peroxide for a couple mins. these methods will remove the patina and decrease collector value.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

The old addage that any cleaning of a coin is a no-no, and it automatically brings down the value to collectors, etc.... is not always right. This old addage was probably born out of horror stories of someone cleaning their gold coins with Ajax, etc.... The truth is, there are some coins we find in the ground, that you'd be laughed out of a coin-store. So sometimes, if you do it right, and leave no trace of your effort, and don't remove patina, you can bring UP the value to collectors. It's a matter of how you do it.

 

[SGVALLEYMAN]

The old addage that any cleaning of a coin is a no-no, and it automatically brings down the value to collectors, etc.... is not always right. This old addage was probably born out of horror stories of someone cleaning their gold coins with Ajax, etc.... The truth is, there are some coins we find in the ground, that you'd be laughed out of a coin-store. So sometimes, if you do it right, and leave no trace of your effort, and don't remove patina, you can bring UP the value to collectors. It's a matter of how you do it.

Thank you for the responses, This coin is very very worn and dark in color so making an ID of it was a chore in it's self, I do know it is a capped half eagle from 1825 but little else, I can see the faint silhouette of the capped matron, and the eagle on the obverse, so I had just wanted to bring out the detail a little bit more so that the Grandkids will someday have a better appreciation for exactly how old it is.

Oh update... On the side i was able to see "Half a dollar"

Thank you all for all the help !

 

[NHBandit]

Alot of times it's the patina that highlights the date so you can read it. Any kind of abrasive cleaning on a coin that's badly worn to begin with will only cause the details to fade away even more. There are, of course exceptions to this such as coins that are encrusted with dirt or something else on the surface that's hiding the details but looking at yours I don't believe you can make it any better with cleaning. There are several on Ebay right now in better condition in the $35-$45 range so it's not a big money coin in poor condition anyway. Enjoy it for what it is. It's very cool to be able to hold something in your hand that is nearly 200 years old.

 

[bula]

Red book (2010) list the 1825 in g4 condition $70 dipping it it hot peroxide will not hurt the coin & may clean it up a little. Another way is to soak it in the jewelry cleaner. Any rubbing with even a cotton ball will scratch it.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Great find!

 

[fistfulladirt]

A hot peroxide bath is usually used on copper coins to remove caked-on crud. I never use it on silver, it really doesn't help improve a silver coin.

 

[Rockin Chairs Gold]

I recently watched one of these movies on I believe it was you tube where this fella found the most beautiful 1836 Capped Bust Dime you ever lade eyes on. It had gorgeous patina and great highlighted high points on the coin. I mean the coin literally made me drool.

At the end of the movie he showed where he had cleaned the coin up and he had shinned it up to the point it looked like a new dime. Now I collect coins but do not consider myself to be any kind of a expert, but I can tell you right now in which condition I would have paid the most for it.

Any way it's his coin and his decision.

 

[SGVALLEYMAN]

Thank you all for the generous advice, after carefully giving some thought to "how best to clean" the coin, I have decided to leave the coin as it is in hopes that my doing so would do the least bit of damage to already faint images on the coin.
Thank you all so much.
HH and continued fun for everyone.
Scott

 

[l.cutler]

I recently watched one of these movies on I believe it was you tube where this fella found the most beautiful 1836 Capped Bust Dime you ever lade eyes on. It had gorgeous patina and great highlighted high points on the coin. I mean the coin literally made me drool.

At the end of the movie he showed where he had cleaned the coin up and he had shinned it up to the point it looked like a new dime. Now I collect coins but do not consider myself to be any kind of a expert, but I can tell you right now in which condition I would have paid the most for it.

Any way it's his coin and his decision.

I hear you, the finder posted that coin here a while back.