coins buried in georgia clay.

[wayne91101]

Man this Georgia clay does a number on buried coins. What will help me get the coins to clean up to help identify the dates. Any help? I dont watn to hurt them or hurt there value, If any value at all. I have Mercks that I cant get the dates on and Wheats also.

 

[scurvy_seadog]

maybe some Borax?

 

[Detector Wars]

I think the best thing to do is soak them in distilled water, then see what you get before you go from there. The water might not loosen up the dirt, hopefully it does, but it will hopefully highlight the date when the coin is wet.

 

[302guy]

On clay you can't go wrong with the Ronco Food Dehydrator or just toss it in an oven on 300 for a few hours. Then it should just crumble right off.

 

[wayne91101]

Thanks I will try this oven trick.

On clay you can't go wrong with the Ronco Food Dehydrator or just toss it in an oven on 300 for a few hours. Then it should just crumble right off.

 

[Frankn]

Don't put copper coins in the oven. They will develop a kind of blue patina. Frank

 

[302guy]

Don't put copper coins in the oven. They will develop a kind of blue patina. Frank

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It shouldn't turn blue on the inside of a ball of low PH Georgia clay. I figured it might change at 415+ but didn't think it would at low temps. Oh well, there is always sublimation....put it in the freezer. That is the key to clay. Making it hard so you can crumble it. But frozen clay is harder since it gets gummy

 

[Frankn]

It shouldn't turn blue on the inside of a ball of low PH Georgia clay. I figured it might change at 415+ but didn't think it would at low temps. Oh well, there is always sublimation....put it in the freezer. That is the key to clay. Making it hard so you can crumble it. But frozen clay is harder since it gets gummy

I have seen pennies turn blue, or temper colors in my clothes dryer. Jest thought I would warn you. Frank

 

[302guy]

Huh? Never had that happen at such a low temp. We used to heat color copper and then clear coat it to keep it from going back to brown or green. I had a temp chart back then. Maybe old copper is soft.