Seated Dime, help cleaning please

[samuel_schumaker]

Well i had about 45 mins after my great aunts funeral before i needed to head home and see the kids so i went back to the old park where i found the barber dime at sunday evening. Found some clad this time and decided i had time for one last good target before i needed to leave. Got a good solid signal and dug a plug. about 3 inches down on the side of the plug was this dime. I pulled it out and saw it was silver so i stuck it in my pocket and headed for home thinking it was probly a rosie or merc since it was so shallow. Got home and looked her over and about fell over. Its a seated dime. Im afraid to clean it tho, as sunday i feel like the barber i found is in awesome shape but i can see some small fine scratches from maybe me running it under the tap water and using my fingers. How do you guys recomend i clean this one? i realize it may not be a valuable coin but dont wanna take anymore chances. I am hoping i didnt scratch it since it was on the side of my plug. I am getting very lucky, i still havent found a merc and only one rosie and i have a barber and now a seated along with the walker half. HH everyone and thanks, Sam, PS i will post good pics of it when i get her cleaned

 

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[fistfulladirt]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice! Soak, rinse.

 

[samuel_schumaker]

I have this posted on another forum also and i looked at the date, its an 1881. From what i see thats only a mintage of 24,000. Is that kind of a rare coin?

 

[samuel_schumaker]

Sorry, after looking harder at the date its an 1891. Darn my heart was beating

 

[sagittarius98]

I have this posted on another forum also and i looked at the date, its an 1881. From what i see thats only a mintage of 24,000. Is that kind of a rare coin?

It would be nice if it was. $160 in g-4, $260 in f-12

 

[samuel_schumaker]

Ya i was getting excited but o well , i am still in a very great mood considering i have found a silver coin on all 3 of my last short hunts. I cant wait to get back on my lunch hour tomorrow. I am just happy becasue its my first seated coin and also my first pre 1900 coin. Thanks for looking, Sam

 

[MR Senior L4S]

Soak in vinegar for 6-10 hr.( d't rub) than rinse w/w and cover by tehnical or regular vaseline ----------- than post it again ( cleaned and preserved )

 

[BuckleBoy]

No chemicals. No vinegar. No vaseline! If there is staining, that is another story but if you just need to remove the dirt, then keep reading...

Kudos to you for bringing it home like that. (I always keep a medicine bottle filled with cotton balls on me for just that reason. ) If you just need to remove the dirt, blast with water in the sink (drain plug in!). Get as much dirt as possible off it in this way, without touching the coin's obverse or reverse (less dirt = less likelihood of scratching it). Then take a camel's hair brush (make-up rouge brush or similar) and lightly dab the coin with the water still running. Dab perpendicular to the face of the coin to loosen the dirt, like you are lightly poking the coin with the brush. Don't scrub. Don't swirl.

Water will carry the dirt away without scratching, so don't use the brush without the water running the whole time. The thing that scratches is using anythin to rub the coin, be it fingers, or what not.

I have never scratched a silver by cleaning it in this way, and I cannot see scratches even looking with a 10x loupe.

Bravo to you for taking the time to ask about cleaning. It is great to recover and preserve the items we dig in the BEST condition possible. If you need any clarification, feel free to drop me message anytime.

Cheers,

Buckleboy

 

[texjim]

awesome job...

 

[lost hunter]

 

[Joe88]

Nice..


Joe

 

[samuel_schumaker]

I soaked in baking soda and lightly brushed it under the water, i can see that this would not be a good idea if the coin is worth much. It looks good but i had a hard time getting the lense to focus on the camera. I think from now on i will do nothing more then what buckleboy suggested. Thanks again everyone for all the help, i am hoping to get back out on my lunch break tomorrow to the same area and see what else i can dig up. HH, Sam

 

[kuger]

No chemicals. No vinegar. No vaseline! If there is staining, that is another story but if you just need to remove the dirt, then keep reading...

Kudos to you for bringing it home like that. (I always keep a medicine bottle filled with cotton balls on me for just that reason. ) If you just need to remove the dirt, blast with water in the sink (drain plug in!). Get as much dirt as possible off it in this way, without touching the coin's obverse or reverse (less dirt = less likelihood of scratching it). Then take a camel's hair brush (make-up rouge brush or similar) and lightly dab the coin with the water still running. Dab perpendicular to the face of the coin to loosen the dirt, like you are lightly poking the coin with the brush. Don't scrub. Don't swirl.

Water will carry the dirt away without scratching, so don't use the brush without the water running the whole time. The thing that scratches is using anythin to rub the coin, be it fingers, or what not.

I have never scratched a silver by cleaning it in this way, and I cannot see scratches even looking with a 10x loupe.

Bravo to you for taking the time to ask about cleaning. It is great to recover and preserve the items we dig in the BEST condition possible. If you need any clarification, feel free to drop me message anytime.

Cheers,

Buckleboy

Words beyond wise right there

 

[kuger]

I soaked in baking soda and lightly brushed it under the water, i can see that this would not be a good idea if the coin is worth much. It looks good but i had a hard time getting the lense to focus on the camera. I think from now on i will do nothing more then what buckleboy suggested. Thanks again everyone for all the help, i am hoping to get back out on my lunch break tomorrow to the same area and see what else i can dig up. HH, Sam

If you dont mind even micro scratches,next time instead of Baking soda you can use Tartar powder dampened less abrasive

 

[hdmech71]

Nice coin and great advice given.

 

[MR Senior L4S]

No chemicals. No vinegar. No vaseline! If there is staining, that is another story but if you just need to remove the dirt, then keep reading...

Kudos to you for bringing it home like that. (I always keep a medicine bottle filled with cotton balls on me for just that reason. ) If you just need to remove the dirt, blast with water in the sink (drain plug in!). Get as much dirt as possible off it in this way, without touching the coin's obverse or reverse (less dirt = less likelihood of scratching it). Then take a camel's hair brush (make-up rouge brush or similar) and lightly dab the coin with the water still running. Dab perpendicular to the face of the coin to loosen the dirt, like you are lightly poking the coin with the brush. Don't scrub. Don't swirl.

Water will carry the dirt away without scratching, so don't use the brush without the water running the whole time. The thing that scratches is using anythin to rub the coin, be it fingers, or what not.

I have never scratched a silver by cleaning it in this way, and I cannot see scratches even looking with a 10x loupe.

Bravo to you for taking the time to ask about cleaning. It is great to recover and preserve the items we dig in the BEST condition possible. If you need any clarification, feel free to drop me message anytime.

Cheers,

Buckleboy

////////////////// You are absolutly right 100% ---------- after that , try vinegar , but only for silver !!! ( just soaking than rinse W/W )

 

[kuger]

No chemicals. No vinegar. No vaseline! If there is staining, that is another story but if you just need to remove the dirt, then keep reading...

Kudos to you for bringing it home like that. (I always keep a medicine bottle filled with cotton balls on me for just that reason. ) If you just need to remove the dirt, blast with water in the sink (drain plug in!). Get as much dirt as possible off it in this way, without touching the coin's obverse or reverse (less dirt = less likelihood of scratching it). Then take a camel's hair brush (make-up rouge brush or similar) and lightly dab the coin with the water still running. Dab perpendicular to the face of the coin to loosen the dirt, like you are lightly poking the coin with the brush. Don't scrub. Don't swirl.

Water will carry the dirt away without scratching, so don't use the brush without the water running the whole time. The thing that scratches is using anythin to rub the coin, be it fingers, or what not.

I have never scratched a silver by cleaning it in this way, and I cannot see scratches even looking with a 10x loupe.

Bravo to you for taking the time to ask about cleaning. It is great to recover and preserve the items we dig in the BEST condition possible. If you need any clarification, feel free to drop me message anytime.

Cheers,

Buckleboy

////////////////// You are absolutly right 100% ---------- after that , try vinegar , but only for silver !!! ( just soaking than rinse W/W )

Guess you didnt read it....and it is silver

 

[testing123]

usually soap and water is good enough for silver.

 

[mikusek]

Nice looking dime. Congratulations.

 

[oldsalty19]

HH GOOD LUCK ON CLEANING