It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

[dougolf2]

Well, my excitement was short-lived. I've been at this hobby for 2 months now, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. The other day I found my first 1800's coin. It is an 1895 Indian Head Penny. Rightfully so, I was very excited.

I don't plan to sell any of the coins I find, especially the "first" of anything. However, I'd like the coins to look as good as they possibly can for display purposes. As I have done with some of the wheat pennies I've found, I placed the coin in white vinegar for a couple of hours, then rubbed it with baking soda. Using that method, most of my wheat pennies came out looking pretty good. None of them were destroyed. But using this method with the Indian Head Penny, basically ruined it. Now it's hard to see almost any detail of the coin at all. Argh!

Is there a better/safer method of cleaning coins?

 

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[ROIGuy]

I've seen some guys have good results with electrolysis. Here is one such page but if you use a search engine and type in : "removing oxidation from coins with electrolysis" you'll get a bunch of results.
I think gigmaster here has done it (I'm sure many more) Here is one of his videos about it.

 

[Icewing]

Congratulations on the IHP, sorry to hear it got ruined.
Personally I just use a toothbrush and dish soap to remove the dirt.
I personally love when they are nice and green, but as ROIGuy says electrolysis can yield some good results.
All you need is an old phone charger or something similar, 2 small alligator clips, a volt meter to determine which wire is + and which is - and a pinch of braking soda.

 

[enamel7]

Every coin you put in vinegar and scrubbed with baking soda are now ruined. Sorry, but just the way it is. A bath in acetone to loosen organics and clean with distilled water is all that's needed. They may look "good" now, but they will soon tone an ugly color.

 

[dougolf2]

Enamel7 - How long should I leave a coin in the acetone? Thanks for your help!

 

[huntsman53]

I recommend a quick rinse with distilled water, pat dry, bathe in Acetone for no more than 3 to 5 minutes to arrest any verdigris(*) on the coin, rinse with distilled water again, pat dry, then place in Mineral Oil for a week up to a month to loosen and remove any dirt, grime and encrustations on the coin. During the time the coin is being bathed in Mineral Oil, you can pick away the stuff in bold with a toothpick or Green Rose Thorn and place back in the bath if more time is needed. When you have removed all the dirt, grime and encrustations or all that can be removed, remove the coin from the Mineral Oil, rinse with distilled water, pat dry, allow to air dry until you are sure it is dry, then place the coin in a 2x2 protective holder. Do not wash off the Mineral Oil residue on the coin as it will protect the coins' metal from further degradation.

(*) verdigris, the green mostly hard but sometimes slightly wet or slimy stuff that eats away the coin's metal and which can destroy the details, date, mint mark and lettering on a coin.

 

[BLK HOLE]

Bummer! I have been very hesitant to try cleaning my coins, I just brush off the dirt and leave them alone.

 

[smokeythecat]

Don't use chemicals, even water is a chemical, it's basically the best solvent on Earth. I bought some of the Andre's pencils, which you can get off Amazon or Ebay. You can resurrect a coin or button with them, and not ruin anything.

 

[Dozer D]

Try a couple of drops of DAWN LIQUID SOAP with hot water in a Rx bottle for a few days. Shake every now and then over those few days. Rinse with hot water, tap dry with soft cloth or paper towel. It takes off the slimmy grime but does not polish the coin. Try it on some none so collectible wheats for a start.

 

[A2coins]

Try this on a penny half cup of hydrogen peroxide put in the microwave for 30 seconds so it's hot drop the penny in for 3 minutes works great

 

[A2coins]

Any ground found penny ED graded won't have much value but it will look great

 

[Megalodon]

Don't use chemicals, even water is a chemical, it's basically the best solvent on Earth. I bought some of the Andre's pencils, which you can get off Amazon or Ebay. You can resurrect a coin or button with them, and not ruin anything.

The before & after pics are amazing. Have your results been similar to those shown on the advertising for the product?

 

[KeyaPaha]

Heated hydrogen peroxide all the way.
Put enough in a glass bowl to cover the pennies you want to clean. Heat until quite hot in the microwave. Drop in the penny(s) and let bubble merrily away. When they quit bubbling, remove and dip in baking soda and rub softly between your fingers. Rinse with tap water and then rub lightly with olive oil. This way, they come out looking circulated and still retain a patina.