Found three today, now what to do? Coin "Biscuits"

smokeythecat · Oct 25, 2015

Was at Ocean City, MD, the beach is VERY CLEAN. But I found a spot with some old coins. One was a 1939 wheatie, the others have to be cleaned. I have several "coins" of unknown origin that are like little "biscuits" They are encased in sand and stuff and its hard like concrete. What's the best way to free them?

smokeythecat · Oct 25, 2015

What do you think? Put them in a tumbler for a bit?

shoague · Oct 25, 2015

I was there last week for teachers convention and the vet parade. THE BEACH IS VERY CLEAN INDEED

Johncoho · Oct 25, 2015

I wouldn't tumble them as there may be a good coin with them. If they are copper coins then I would heat up peroxide in the micro and drop the coins in. let them bubble and when they stop, try using a toothpick to remove some of the encrustation. That would be my first try. If that doesn't work, try soaking them olive oil for a few days and then try the toothpick. Good luck.

OBN · Oct 25, 2015

I take each and crush the cookie part with a set of pliers, it does not affect the coins condition. Then cook them with electrolyzes if needed.. The silver I rub with baking soda.. Some I never take the cookie off just to show how bad they can be before cleaning...

against the wind · Oct 25, 2015

Congrats on the Wheat Penny.
Any coin, especially clad, laying on a salty beach, is going to become encrusted in salt and sand. I'll bet the majority of them are Zincolns.

smokeythecat · Oct 26, 2015

I have three in question. I think 1 may be silver, but don't know yet. (I also have to figure out where I STUCK them last night when I got in....)

The one in particular is almost as thick as it is round. Almost.

FOUND THEM! In the washer. Anyway, still have three "cookies", but the 39 cleaned up nice. Other identifiable coin is a French 1952 10 Francs coin, two clad quarters two clad dimes, three zincolns and a just dropped nickel.

Also found an arrowhead and a fossil turtle (3" long) plus some sea glass. About 30 pieces including 2 small (1/2" size) cobalt blue pieces. Glass was found north in Delaware.

TheRelicDoctor · Oct 26, 2015

Warm distilled water takes the crust off the coppers I find in sandy conditions.

Mackaydon · Oct 26, 2015

Some cob coins look like biscuits. We would gently hit them on their edge and the 'caking' would come off exposing the shiny coin. The 'caking' was, of course, silver oxide. There's a certain beach in Mexico that has these 'biscuits'; the people who walk on them have no knowledge of what is under their feet.
Don.....

smokeythecat · Oct 27, 2015

I squeezed one on the edge, it broke in half revealing a Lincoln copper cent, the biggest one broke clear in half it was either a very old us dimes or a 1 reale, no device is left on it.

Mackaydon · Oct 27, 2015

My experience is with cob coin 'biscuits'.
Sometimes the coin that remained after gently busting the 'biscuit' in half would be a very thin coin we called a 'razor' for the obvious reason.
Don...