How severe do rock tumblers damage coins?

Amos Moses · May 27, 2014

Am in the market for a tumbler since I have a pile of coins to clean. I have a couple questions... How bad does a tumbler tear up the coins? I mostly have clad and pennies, but some of them are so encrusted, I can't tell what they really are. It'd be a shame to damage an expensive coin! Second, what tumbler ingredients do you guys use to clean? Media and such?

Jason in Enid · May 27, 2014

Depends on the coins and the tumbling media. If you are only tumbling clad, don't worry about it. I tumble my clad with aquarium gravel and it doesn't hurt them at all.

BigWaveDave · May 27, 2014

not a big fan of the tumbling thing..why spend money to spend money? :icon_scratch:

I would just roll them up, deposit into the bank, and let the CRH guys deal with them. :laughing7:

Amos Moses · May 27, 2014

Jason in Enid said:
Depends on the coins and the tumbling media. If you are only tumbling clad, don't worry about it. I tumble my clad with aquarium gravel and it doesn't hurt them at all.

So just aquarium gravel and water? Do you put any dish washing detergent with it?

QUOTE="BigWaveDave;4025182"]not a big fan of the tumbling thing..why spend money to spend money? :icon_scratch:

I would just roll them up, deposit into the bank, and let the CRH guys deal with them. :laughing7:

[/QUOTE]

lol! Yeah, I've had my times with coin roll hunting, too. I've seen a more than a few pretty crappy quarters!

Amos Moses · May 27, 2014

^ Of course... Why wouldn't my quote work!

Jason in Enid · May 27, 2014

BigWaveDave said:
not a big fan of the tumbling thing..why spend money to spend money? I would just roll them up, deposit into the bank, and let the CRH guys deal with them.

Because it's about getting coins de-crudded (I'm claiming inventing that word! :tongue3:

) enough so that they run through the coin counter without jambing and breaking it. Many banks (inclucing mine) will not take rolls or loose change in large amounts, you have to run it through the coin counter. If you become known as someone who constantly jambs up their expensive machine you will find yourself without a bank.

Jason in Enid · May 27, 2014

Amos Moses said:
So just aquarium gravel and water? Do you put any dish washing detergent with it?

Yeah, I put a few drops of detergent in too. Biggest thing is to not overfill it with coins or gravel. 1/2 full total is best. Too full and it starts taking longer and longer to get clean because it can't roll around enough. Also be sure to do the pennies and clad separate or you end up with pink clad. But even pink clad is still clean enough to spend!

BigWaveDave · May 27, 2014

In 30 years I have not ever found a bank that would not accept rolls.... and I would guess the OP isn't planning on making 16 runs a week turning in his MD finds. I can GUARANTEE you that at the end of the year, I will take my dirty, crusty zinc and clad, deposit it, and pay for my Spring Training Season Tickets, and the bank will thank me for my business.

treblehunter · May 30, 2014

BigWaveDave said:
In 30 years I have not ever found a bank that would not accept rolls.... and I would guess the OP isn't planning on making 16 runs a week turning in his MD finds. I can GUARANTEE you that at the end of the year, I will take my dirty, crusty zinc and clad, deposit it, and pay for my Spring Training Season Tickets, and the bank will thank me for my business.

Dave,I spent 4 hours of my day today arguing with my bank because they would not take my rolled clad I found this year. Two trips to my bank and one to another. Next week I pull my accounts and move to the other bank. Its too long a story, but other bank has no problem taking my (I didn't clean) clad. I have been at my bank for thirty some years!

treblehunter · May 30, 2014

Jason in Enid said:
Because it's about getting coins de-crudded (I'm claiming inventing that word! ) enough so that they run through the coin counter without jambing and breaking it. Many banks (inclucing mine) will not take rolls or loose change in large amounts, you have to run it through the coin counter. If you become known as someone who constantly jambs up their expensive machine you will find yourself without a bank.

Must be a new Jersey thing

hvacker · Jun 1, 2014

I think a bank that is a Fed bank has to take coins but not others like credit unions although I have no problem at mine. I know rolled coins are not necessary where there is a coin counter. Just bring in the sack-o-coins.

BigWaveDave · Jun 1, 2014

treblehunter said:
Dave,I spent 4 hours of my day today arguing with my bank because they would not take my rolled clad I found this year. Two trips to my bank and one to another. Next week I pull my accounts and move to the other bank. Its too long a story, but other bank has no problem taking my (I didn't clean) clad. I have been at my bank for thirty some years!

sorry to hear that, sir.

T.C. · Mar 21, 2015

I have used aquarium gravel and dish soap twice.....wasn't impressed. I tried Socaljim's recipe. Lemon juice and table salt. One tablespoon of salt to every 4-5 ounces of lemon juice. Tumble for 30-45 minutes....I tumbled for 35 minutes and WOW!! Coins turned out great and quick easy clean up of your tumbler!!

Jason in Enid · Mar 22, 2015

I stopped caring how pretty the coins looked. I tumble them long enough to remove all the crud so they won't jamb up the bank's coin counter machine.

BigWaveDave · Mar 22, 2015

OK guys...funny story, and I wasn't gonna bring this up....

Back at the end of the year I turned in my dug clad(without incident), then a month later my dad who has a thing for nickels bounces around to bank doing the crh thing, tells me about the roll of nickels that look like they were stored up ones backside....ha

T.C. · Mar 22, 2015

Mine were pretty nasty Jason....all I cared about also, was running them through the CoinStar at the Credit Union :thumbsup:

Jason in Enid said:
I stopped caring how pretty the coins looked. I tumble them long enough to remove all the crud so they won't jamb up the bank's coin counter machine.

historyncoins1 · Mar 24, 2015

Use some baking soda soap and water and let em tumble for a good 2-48 hours two hours is plenty but if you've got some real bad ones let en stay in their for a while and they don't really get damaged.

historyncoins1 · Mar 24, 2015

T.C. said:
Mine were pretty nasty Jason....all I cared about also, was running them through the CoinStar at the Credit Union

Yes I agree money is money no matter the condition

Loco-Digger · Mar 24, 2015

I use a tumbler and gravel which is similar to aquarium gravel. I do not use dish detergent since it is harder to rinse out than a cap full of mister clean. I now take my tumbled clad to many vending machines and turn them into clean coins that I can then roll and deposit into my bank account without any hassle. I used the coin-star once and it rejected many coins that some vending machines would take. No more coinstar for me. Just think I might come across some silver coins out of the vending machines. Just today I exchanges $25 in quarters and $15 in dimes using 3 vending machines at the local Walmart. Once the vending machine begins to give me my discolored clad back, I move to the next one and continue.

historyncoins1 · Mar 25, 2015

Loco-Digger said:
I use a tumbler and gravel which is similar to aquarium gravel. I do not use dish detergent since it is harder to rinse out than a cap full of mister clean. I now take my tumbled clad to many vending machines and turn them into clean coins that I can then roll and deposit into my bank account without any hassle. I used the coin-star once and it rejected many coins that some vending machines would take. No more coinstar for me. Just think I might come across some silver coins out of the vending machines. Just today I exchanges $25 in quarters and $15 in dimes using 3 vending machines at the local Walmart. Once the vending machine begins to give me my discolored clad back, I move to the next one and continue.

Good idea