You Gotta Try This Method of Tumbling Coins.

[Loco-Digger]

I have been tumbling my clad for over a year now and I used small gravel and a touch of Mr Clean. I normally tumbled coins for at least an hour. It took the dirt off and made the coins clean enough to use in vending machines, but they were still brownish in color. I then would take these coins and fish for silvers in vending machines. I have fished about $300 in clad nickels, dimes, and quarters. I have yet to get a silver out of a vending machine. I then roll them and keep the coins until I take my year end finds picture, after that they get deposited in my hobby account.

I tried a recipe last night and ran the tumbler for 45 minutes and was amazed at the results. I need to give a shout-out to T.C. for posting his recipe. You only need enough lemon juice to cover the coins (3-4 oz) and about 3 tablespoons of salt. After 45 minutes the coins came out like new. Well at least 99% did. I then reused the concoction to clean the pennies. This method is the way to go. I paid a little over $2 for the lemon juice and you get 2 containers of salt for a dollar at the local Dollar General store. You can clean about 16 batches of coins with a 32oz bottle if you do your silver 1st and then reuse the same mixture for the pennies.

Please try this, you will be amazed at the results.

 

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[pat-tekker-cat]

I got about 8 or 9 coffee cans (plastic) full of unrecognizable clads, thanks for the info from T.C., L.D.

 

[Loco-Digger]

I got about 8 or 9 coffee cans (plastic) full of unrecognizable clads, thanks for the info from T.C., L.D.

Great minds think alike, here is how I store most of my finds.



Copper scrap copper for recycling
D Dimes (clad)
P Pennies (copper only)
J Jewelry
R Relics
Q Quarters (clad)
blank Zinc Pennies (need to put a Z on this container)
T Toys
N Nickels

 

[TheHunterGT]

Good stuff guys...thank you for the info.

Just did the pea-gravel and Dawn soap method for about 4 hours. While they were MUCH cleaner and they appear any coin machine will now accept them.....I want better.

Wondering if a bit of the gravel along with the salt/lemon mix would make it even better?

 

[patiodadio]

Great minds think alike, here is how I store most of my finds.

View attachment 1251746

Copper scrap copper for recycling
D Dimes (clad)
P Pennies (copper only)
J Jewelry
R Relics
Q Quarters (clad)
blank Zinc Pennies (need to put a Z on this container)
T Toys
N Nickels

Great Idea !

 

[gearjammer]

you beat me too it. Glad to hear it works, will be cleaning stuff later if I find anything.

 

[Crappies-n-Coins]

I use it in a mason jar .

Be careful, you're liable to knock the bottom out of the jar. A method for taking the bottom out of an old wine bottle is putting a large nail in it, and shaking the bottle up and down (thumb over opening).

 

[PaDirtDigger]

I will give this a try!

Some before and after pictures would be great!!!!

 

[Loco-Digger]

I will give this a try!

Some before and after pictures would be great!!!!

Sorry I was in such a hurry to try it, that I forgot to take pics. I was simply amazed at the results though.

 

[RON (PA)]

These lemon juice and vinegar recipes are a lot safer than what I use. I use a drop or two of Dawn dish soap & a splash of CLR in some water. For scrubbing action, I use reptile sand from a pet store. The downside is that I have to filter out the sand (which is a big pain). With the salt and vinegar you can just dump it down the drain. I like it. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Randy Combs]

I tried the lemon juice salt mix and it worked, so did apple cider vinegar salt mix too!

 

[SoCalDesertFox]

The only inherent problem to tumbling coins and using abrasives and solvents is that if you want to sell these to collectors, they will look for signs of cleaning. Missing patina where it ideally should be on silver? You just cost yourself some $$$. But, then again, this is only really a problem on silver.

 

[Loco-Digger]

The only inherent problem to tumbling coins and using abrasives and solvents is that if you want to sell these to collectors, they will look for signs of cleaning. Missing patina where it ideally should be on silver? You just cost yourself some $$$. But, then again, this is only really a problem on silver.

I only tumble the clad, so I can roll them and not have any problems when I go to the bank to have them deposited into my account. All keeper coins are gently cleaned with an extra soft brush and warm soapy water at first. I then get rid of the other dirt with a tooth pick. If the coins are really encrusted I let them soak in EVOO or mineral oil.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Thanks Loco, I will try it!

 

[T.C.]

Thanks to all for the "shout outs" on the "recipe" for tumbling coins but, I got the "recipe" from SoCalJim. He deserves all the credit!!

 

[T.C.]

Good stuff guys...thank you for the info.

Just did the pea-gravel and Dawn soap method for about 4 hours. While they were MUCH cleaner and they appear any coin machine will now accept them.....I want better.

Wondering if a bit of the gravel along with the salt/lemon mix would make it even better?

Give it a try and tell us the results!!

 

[T.C.]

Instead of lemon juice, use white vinegar. It's much cheaper and you can buy it by the gallon. I use it in a mason jar and just shake the coins for about 90 seconds (salt included). Cleans coins quick. Make sure you don't clean pennies at the same time silver clad is being done. You'll have pink coins.

I'm gonna try it, Skippy...

 

[T.C.]

The only inherent problem to tumbling coins and using abrasives and solvents is that if you want to sell these to collectors, they will look for signs of cleaning. Missing patina where it ideally should be on silver? You just cost yourself some $$$. But, then again, this is only really a problem on silver.

Agreed....this is just for clad and zincolns!!

 

[Crappies-n-Coins]

Good grief, how hard do you shake? LOL I literally just swirl them a bit in the jar, just to keep them tumbling for the 90 seconds. It doesn't take vigorous shaking (For those wondering)..> If you've shaken the change so hard the glass breaks... It's too hard. LOL

Skippy

Your other post said that you "shake", didn't say "swirl". Was just trying to warn you of a potential accident (and mess to clean-up), as well as anyone else why might try your method.

 

[T.C.]

I have a picture posted of "cleaned" coins, but I can't seem to copy and paste it. Here's the forum and thread: Metal Detecting, page 17 and thread...Using Cat Litter To Clean Coins