Found my first 1923-S RARER Peace Dollar today... any suggestions on cleaning it ?

ARC

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Tis in good condition...
just tarnished really good.
I do not wanna tarnex it for it could be worth a few bucks.
And I do not wanna polish... or use electro.

Suggestions ?
this will not be a "keeper" for me and will sell it ... but wondering if it should be cleaned and the best way to do it for sale.

In great condition these can bring over a grand... and up to 5 I have seen online.
Even in crappy condition it seems they are pulling 50ish bucks...
IT is the S which is the rarer one

Will post pics AFTER cleaned.
 

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huntsman53

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ARRC,

There are sometimes methods to clean Silver coins but it depends on their condition and what is wrong with them (i.e. are they corroded, stained, toned, encrusted or other). Without seeing good pics of the Peace Silver Dollar with much of the background cropped out and correct lighting, it would be hard for anyone to recommend the correct treatment or treatments. Lets say that the Silver coin is Uncirculated with Mint luster showing under very ugly toning (i.e. the toning is so ugly that the coin would never fetch a fair and decent price because the coin has no eye appeal). There are methods that will work to remove the ugly toning and which if done correctly, leave no evidence that the coin was treated with any methods. Now, lets say that you have a Silver coin that was stained by a piece of Iron that it was laying up against in the ground. This staining can usually be removed with the 91% Alcohol that is sold at Walmart. Just a light soaking in it and light rubbing with a soft fingertip will usually remove the Iron staining and alcohol will remove other types of staining. No matter which method you use, it is best to rinse the coin after with distilled water, pat dry between a soft towel and then place the coin in a 2x2 protective holder. Acetone is great for stopping and sometimes removing verdigris on coins, while Mineral Oil...Kroll Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil will often loosen and allow the removal of encrustations, dirt and grime on coins. As I stated, without knowing (seeing via pics) the condition that needs to be addressed on a coin, it would be hard to recommend any type of method to treat the coin!


Frank
 

teverly

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bottom line is that if it is in decent condition DO NOT CLEAN IT......if you don't know what you are doing you can screw it up....I have been around collectors for a lot of years...let the person that buys it worry about cleaning it if they want...if you choose to sell and want to get top dollar send it as is for grading and go from there ....I am guessing you have never done it yourself,so the odds are you could turn a 1000 dollar coin into a 100 dollar coin..just my opinion from being around and being a collector
 

swamp yankee

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Don't dip/scrub/brush/buff your piece. Boil some DISTILLED water ONLY and pour it over coin on both sides while it's actively boiling.Repeat until the "handling crud" melts off and PAT DRY with a clean dry towel. The LAST step is to give it a QUICK DIP or two in PURE ACETONE in a well ventilated area(outside-shed-garage)HH.....
 

Gridwalker306

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Man, if I dug a peace dollar I wouldn't sell it for 10x it's value. Good luck with it, I'd like to see both before and after any cleaning pics. Congrats on a super find.
 

pepperj

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Im not a rocket scientists or brain surgeon, didn't stay at Holiday Inn either. But I think the walnut shell is softer than the silver. Corn cob is softer yet, but you would have to tumble it for a good while.
I've never sold any dug coins, but I have taken some of my silver coins to the coin shop to see what they would offer. They never asked if they were cleaned, and didn't believe me when I said they were dug. These were mostly Barbers in vf to au condition. They tried pretty hard to buy them, but that didn't happen.

If one looks up silver's hardness it will be 2.5-3 MOHS and walnut shell is 3-4 Mohs, corn cob is 4.5 so higher the number the harder the product. Silver, copper, gold are all rated the same for hardness 2.5-3 on the Mohs scale. Gypsum and baking soda both are 2.5 MOHS, and the only one that comes to mind it Talc which is 1 MOHS.
BTW Mohs scale of hardness, named for German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs.

The hardness of a given mineral specimen is then determined by which mineral in the Mohs scale will scratch it.
In metallurgy and engineering, hardness is determined by impressing a hard material on the surface to be tested and measuring the size of the indentation. This is known as the Brinell test, after Swedish engineer Johann Brinell.


Cleaning it or killing it, what result does one want in the end?
 

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ARC

ARC

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Ok... here is deal... coin is not in "good" enough condition to "worry" about I was informed... last night by a buddy who collects these.
So I did a hot water and thumb rub bath.
Steamed.
Still worth a few bucks though.
JfYI... I do collect CERTAIN coins...
Just nothing from the 20th century :)... not old enough for me :)
IF a coin is only worth near scrap value I save them in "silver" stash for rainy day
And will scrap when prices go up...
Last time I scraped coins was when silver was at 42-45... just because. heh
Here is pic of coin... as clean as I will go I guess..
Not in as good as condition now that it is cleaned... the tarnish and such was "hiding" the wear etc.
DSC00868.JPG DSC00870.JPG
 

wainzoid

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Thanx Pepper
I learned something today. Even though it don't make alot of sense to me. Corn cob is harder than silver, but I think I could chew up a corncob quicker than a silver dollar. Plastic is rated a 1 which I thought would be higher. And gypsum has ruined several of my sawzalls and shop vacs, so I would think it would be much harder than it says.
So, I am going to try plastic media and rock salt. I can't see how they can do any damage since they are rated softer.
All the coins I tumble are dug circulated coins, so they already have damage. The coin dealer that I took coins to had no idea that they were dug and tumbled. Besides, I will never sell anything, and once Im gone, the boys will cash them in and buy something stupid like beer and cigarettes.
 

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ARC

ARC

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I have found LOTS of peace dollars over the years...
Just never an "S".
 

pepperj

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Thanx Pepper
I learned something today. Even though it don't make alot of sense to me. Corn cob is harder than silver, but I think I could chew up a corncob quicker than a silver dollar. Plastic is rated a 1 which I thought would be higher. And gypsum has ruined several of my sawzalls and shop vacs, so I would think it would be much harder than it says.
So, I am going to try plastic media and rock salt. I can't see how they can do any damage since they are rated softer.
All the coins I tumble are dug circulated coins, so they already have damage. The coin dealer that I took coins to had no idea that they were dug and tumbled. Besides, I will never sell anything, and once Im gone, the boys will cash them in and buy something stupid like beer and cigarettes.

I'm just wondering if the corn cobs are dried to the point where they turn really hard, type of corn would be a factor as well. Dust is the killer of many tools, after every use in these environments it's good to blow the windings out with air.
 

huntsman53

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Never clean a Silver coin with Walnut Shells or Corn Cob media as these will scratch the coins. It is likely that they will do the same to Copper and probably Bronze and Brass coins as well. A good Sonic cleaner that uses water can be used as long as you do not put any other coins in at the same time or at the least, ensure that they stay separated. Likewise, brushes...cloths...Brillo pads...Steel wool...a Dremel with a brush wheel (called whizzing) of any kind, most Coin dipping solutions sold on the market and believe it or not, even a heavily calloused finger should not be used on coins and especially on Silver coins. There are things that can be used to clean Silver coins but the existing condition must be known and taken into account. With circulated coins, you never want to use anything that strips them of patina or toning as this is a Red Flag that they have been cleaned. I know of a method and solution that can be used on most Uncirculated Silver coins that still have some or all of their' original Mint Luster underneath bad (ugly) toning or staining and if done correctly, no one can tell that the coin was ever cleaned. If anyone is interested in this method and solution, PM me and I will message you back with the method and solution. I stress that this method and solution should never be used on circulated Silver coins and it may not work correctly if there are contaminants on the coin. If you decide to use this method and solution and the results are not what you wanted or expected, I will not be held liable for any reason!


Frank
 

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huntsman53

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Ok... here is deal... coin is not in "good" enough condition to "worry" about I was informed... last night by a buddy who collects these.
So I did a hot water and thumb rub bath.
Steamed.
Still worth a few bucks though.
JfYI... I do collect CERTAIN coins...
Just nothing from the 20th century :)... not old enough for me :)
IF a coin is only worth near scrap value I save them in "silver" stash for rainy day
And will scrap when prices go up...
Last time I scraped coins was when silver was at 42-45... just because. heh
Here is pic of coin... as clean as I will go I guess..
Not in as good as condition now that it is cleaned... the tarnish and such was "hiding" the wear etc.
View attachment 1152434 View attachment 1152435

ARRC,

Since you have already stripped most of the dirt, grime, patina or whatever there was on the coin, you can go one more step any likely remove the staining across the Obverse of the coin. Just douse it with 91% Rubbing Alcohol and rub the stained area/areas with a soft fingertip, then rinse in water, pat dry and all should be good as can be expected. If the stain is stubborn, you may have to repeat the process. Be aware that Rubbing Alcohol has a tendency to shine up (not polish) Silver and Gold coins and Jewelry and depending upon the condition of the item/items, it can be an added bonus, especially if the item/items have no wear and look brand new underneath whatever it is that gave them a dull or unappealing look.


Frank
 

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masterjedi

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I have found LOTS of peace dollars over the years...
Just never an "S".

You are a very lucky man... Most of us go a lifetime and never find even (1) real silver dollar and you have found lots of them?
 

david680

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From a numismatic standpoint cleaning is the kiss of death. Dug coins caked in crud and pitted by fertilizers or what ever environmental damage that has come their way from their time in the dirt can be cleaned. Dipped in lemon juice, electro, peroxide, oil, nail polish or elmers glue and water, What ever if all you want to do is enjoy them for what they are. They will never be more than a G3 coin. That is not what this man said he wanted to do with his coin. If he wants to sell it, it needs to be properly handled. There have been banner coins here from the dirt that have been properly prepared and sold for large dollars, but that was done by experts. Thats all I am saying.

This is a line generally handed out to discourage rank amateurs from devaluing coins by cleaning or polishing coins. They do it a lot. And if you don't know what you are doing, its still the best advice. However, cleaning coins is not the kiss of death. It is an accepted practice, every dealer does it, and many a coin has had its appearance and value increased by a good cleaning. I suspect that more have had their value decreased by bad cleanings however.
 

BuckleBoy

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Ok... here is deal... coin is not in "good" enough condition to "worry" about I was informed... last night by a buddy who collects these.
So I did a hot water and thumb rub bath.
Steamed.
Still worth a few bucks though.
JfYI... I do collect CERTAIN coins...
Just nothing from the 20th century :)... not old enough for me :)
IF a coin is only worth near scrap value I save them in "silver" stash for rainy day
And will scrap when prices go up...
Last time I scraped coins was when silver was at 42-45... just because. heh
Here is pic of coin... as clean as I will go I guess..
Not in as good as condition now that it is cleaned... the tarnish and such was "hiding" the wear etc.
View attachment 1152434 View attachment 1152435

Well what on earth is wrong with it? Looks fantastic for a dug coin to me!
 

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