Peroxide on Potential VDB pennys or not ! that is the question ! Silver too !

[MaineRelic]

We had a nice light rain last night and all morning! and I could not wait to get off from work. I knew the rain was coaxing the frost out of a new farm field I was looking forward to hunting. I was surprised to find most of it still pretty solid. I did find a good size south facing section that was mercifully free of frost. Besides the usual farm relics I came across a nice pocket spill. I pulled 5 small cents and 1 Barber dime out of this spill. I found the 1907 Indian first then another cent in the same hole which I corectly guessed a Wheatie. Then 3 more small cents within a 3 foot perimeter of the Indian. I thought that was it but rechecking the area I found the 1898 Barber sitting on top of the ground in a clump of mud right next to 1 of my plugs ! I am glad I rechecked !! Anyways The four wheaties have been in the ground along time and show it. When I got home I rinsed the pennys in water and could get no date or much detail. I subjected 1 of the wheaties to a Q-tip cleaning trying to get a date. When I saw the 1909 I stoped Cleaning ! I have not touched the other crusty wheaties. Because of the dates of the other coins in the spill and the 1 1909 I realized I potentially had 4 1909 pennys ! Could 1 of them be a VDB Maybe even an S mint mark ! It is possible ! So Peroxide or no Peroxide ??

 

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[jgas]

I would be crazy and peroxide them. What the heck, it's the only way to find out. I would peroxide them about 15 to 20 seconds max, then a toothbrush should do it to see for sure before really nuking them. Just my thoughts, but I am sure there will be several others. Nice spill by the way. jgas

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

If you can see where the "s" should be, and it isn't, then go for it. A 1909-VDB is uncommon, but not too rare. My two cents, anyway.
Carl

 

[MaineRelic]

Here Is a Pic of the reverse of the 4 wheaties ! As you can see pretty crusty !!

 

[p2c]

I'd do just enough to get a date. If you do peroxide them, soak them afterward in mineral oil. Hydrogen Peroxide causes oxidation, including to the copper. A protective seal of mineral oil will prevent further oxidation.
You can also try soaking them for a week or so in mineral oil, q-tipping every so often, instead of peroxide. That sometimes cleans them and is gentle and wont harm the coin (assuming you don't wipe hard. I do that with large cents.
Someone else has posted a method of using boiled linseed oil. have a paper towel soaked in linseed oil, wrap the coin, and put a weight on top pressing down. Leave it for a couple weeks. the oil dries. When you remove the paper, the oil pulls off the coin along with grime. I have not tried this method, but it sounds like it could work.

 

[pjroo33]

Looks like the perfect candidate for a peroxide bath!

 

[Detectingfreak]

My recommendation is better than the peroxide bath. Use amonia on those wheaties! You can find it at your local grocery store and it works great and does not hurt the value! Just cleans them up really good!

 

[ArkieBassMan]

Personally, I would have to clean them. A "cleaned" 1909-S and/or VDB will be worth more than a heavily corroded, unreadable date penny. I have the same problem in the agricultural fields I hunt here in Arkansas. All of the wheaties come out of the ground HEAVILY corroded. Most of the time I can't get a date even with a peroxide bath or by any other cleaning method I have tried. Bottom line though is this: you dug them, they are yours. Do whatever you feel like would be the correct thing to do. Good luck, and keep us posted on what you find should you clean them and recover dates and mintmarks.

 

[watercolor]

What do you have to loose?. . . they're environmentally damaged anyway

Hot peroxide for a few minutes, intermittent tooth brushing until the crust is dissolved. . . then bee's wax to preserve

I've done this on all my post '64 IH's & early Lincoln's and they turn out swell.

 

[MaineRelic]

What do you have to loose?. . . they're environmentally damaged anyway

Hot peroxide for a few minutes, intermittent tooth brushing until the crust is dissolved. . . then bee's wax to preserve

I've done this on all my post '64 IH's & early Lincoln's and they turn out swell.

I Finally decided to heat up some peroxide in the microwave and clean them with a hot peroxide Q-tip, When copper are toast they are toast ! I ended up getting 2 more dates off the coppers but they are in rough shape !! With a magnifying glass while cleaning them I turned out 2 have another 1909. Neither one of them has the VDB mark . I also got a 1911 lincoln and there was 1 more I could not get a date from ! Well better luck next time !! At least I got me a Keeper Silver MaineRelic.

 

[Deepdiger60]

I just try ed 2 IH,s that are really cruddy a 1906 and 1909 my 2 worst in peroxide i nuked both of them for 3 minutes in 4oz of peroxide wow did they get hot they danced all over the bottom of the plastic jug i left for 5 minutes and then brushed of with a soft tooth brush ill be darned you can see the copper now and the dates very clear they look much better by the way the micowave oven did not short out with copper in it i rinsed off and coated with olive oil Jim

 

[Bell-Two]

I just try ed 2 IH,s that are really cruddy a 1906 and 1909 my 2 worst in peroxide i nuked both of them for 3 minutes in 4oz of peroxide wow did they get hot they danced all over the bottom of the plastic jug i left for 5 minutes and then brushed of with a soft tooth brush ill be darned you can see the copper now and the dates very clear they look much better by the way the micowave oven did not short out with copper in it i rinsed off and coated with olive oil Jim

Well I don't think your supposed to put the pennies in the microwave, I have just heated the peroxide for about 20-25 seconds take it out and put the pennies in and leave them for about 3 minutes seem to work well for me.

 

[Silver Searcher]

I'd do just enough to get a date. If you do peroxide them, soak them afterward in mineral oil. Hydrogen Peroxide causes oxidation, including to the copper. A protective seal of mineral oil will prevent further oxidation.
You can also try soaking them for a week or so in mineral oil, q-tipping every so often, instead of peroxide. That sometimes cleans them and is gentle and wont harm the coin (assuming you don't wipe hard. I do that with large cents.
Someone else has posted a method of using boiled linseed oil. have a paper towel soaked in linseed oil, wrap the coin, and put a weight on top pressing down. Leave it for a couple weeks. the oil dries. When you remove the paper, the oil pulls off the coin along with grime. I have not tried this method, but it sounds like it could work.

The method you spoke of works with Olive & Sunflower oil also Talking about coin cleaning have a look at this link

http://thamesandfield.piczo.com/COIN.CLEANING.DETECTING.FINDS.FOR.THE.BRAVE?cr=4&linkvar=000044

SS

 

[RPG]

I'd do just enough to get a date. If you do peroxide them, soak them afterward in mineral oil. Hydrogen Peroxide causes oxidation, including to the copper. A protective seal of mineral oil will prevent further oxidation.
You can also try soaking them for a week or so in mineral oil, q-tipping every so often, instead of peroxide. That sometimes cleans them and is gentle and wont harm the coin (assuming you don't wipe hard. I do that with large cents.
Someone else has posted a method of using boiled linseed oil. have a paper towel soaked in linseed oil, wrap the coin, and put a weight on top pressing down. Leave it for a couple weeks. the oil dries. When you remove the paper, the oil pulls off the coin along with grime. I have not tried this method, but it sounds like it could work.

The method you spoke of works with Olive & Sunflower oil also Talking about coin cleaning have a look at this link

http://thamesandfield.piczo.com/COIN.CLEANING.DETECTING.FINDS.FOR.THE.BRAVE?cr=4&linkvar=000044

SS

Thanks SS. Got that one on my favorites and will be trying very soon. I got a lot of wheaties to play with.

 

[Silver Searcher]

I'd do just enough to get a date. If you do peroxide them, soak them afterward in mineral oil. Hydrogen Peroxide causes oxidation, including to the copper. A protective seal of mineral oil will prevent further oxidation.
You can also try soaking them for a week or so in mineral oil, q-tipping every so often, instead of peroxide. That sometimes cleans them and is gentle and wont harm the coin (assuming you don't wipe hard. I do that with large cents.
Someone else has posted a method of using boiled linseed oil. have a paper towel soaked in linseed oil, wrap the coin, and put a weight on top pressing down. Leave it for a couple weeks. the oil dries. When you remove the paper, the oil pulls off the coin along with grime. I have not tried this method, but it sounds like it could work.

The method you spoke of works with Olive & Sunflower oil also Talking about coin cleaning have a look at this link

http://thamesandfield.piczo.com/COIN.CLEANING.DETECTING.FINDS.FOR.THE.BRAVE?cr=4&linkvar=000044

SS

Thanks SS. Got that one on my favorites and will be trying very soon. I got a lot of wheaties to play with.

Great you also need this one :P and go on site 2

http://www.piczo.com/thamesandfield?cr=4

SS

 

[RPG]

I'd do just enough to get a date. If you do peroxide them, soak them afterward in mineral oil. Hydrogen Peroxide causes oxidation, including to the copper. A protective seal of mineral oil will prevent further oxidation.
You can also try soaking them for a week or so in mineral oil, q-tipping every so often, instead of peroxide. That sometimes cleans them and is gentle and wont harm the coin (assuming you don't wipe hard. I do that with large cents.
Someone else has posted a method of using boiled linseed oil. have a paper towel soaked in linseed oil, wrap the coin, and put a weight on top pressing down. Leave it for a couple weeks. the oil dries. When you remove the paper, the oil pulls off the coin along with grime. I have not tried this method, but it sounds like it could work.

The method you spoke of works with Olive & Sunflower oil also Talking about coin cleaning have a look at this link

http://thamesandfield.piczo.com/COIN.CLEANING.DETECTING.FINDS.FOR.THE.BRAVE?cr=4&linkvar=000044

SS

Thanks SS. Got that one on my favorites and will be trying very soon. I got a lot of wheaties to play with.

Great you also need this one :P and go on site 2

http://www.piczo.com/thamesandfield?cr=4

SS

WOW. I'm a little overwhelmed here.

It's gonna take a little while to look at that one. I kinda browsed down through it and am amazed. Feel free to post links to more of those cool sites you guys have on that side of the pond. 8)

 

[crazyjarhead]

That would be crazy if you have 4 1909's?? Can't wait to see your results. Nive group of old coins you found. I'd be checking that area real well.I say peroxide bath.......a little at a time. Good luck and keep us posted

 

[lalaboo69]

I would be crazy and peroxide them. What the heck, it's the only way to find out. I would peroxide them about 15 to 20 seconds max, then a toothbrush should do it to see for sure before really nuking them. Just my thoughts, but I am sure there will be several others. Nice spill by the way. jgas

NOOOOO!!!!! DO NOT EVER USE A THOOTHBRUSH ON ANY COIN!!! A PIECE OF TISSUE WILL SCRATCH COINS YOU SHOULD ONLY USE A LITTLE SOAP AND WATER ON YOU COINS AND THAT IS ONLY IF YOU HAVE TO!!!!