What kind of wire brush should I use to polish my 10 $ Proof Indian?

mdwoods

I was just starting to feel a little too serious!!

sumnom

For gold coins I prefer a belt sander.

kingmatt

I've had good results with a high speed dremel and wire wheel attachment. Be sure to wear safety glasses...it really sucks when a piece of gold flies off and hits you in the eye!

Placid

Don't you will scratch it. Use a blowtorch

RGL

An invisible and imaginary one!

MadMarty

Sandblaster works for me!!

cladking

Sometimes a hammer will be effective at removing grunge or grime.

It's hard to find but for that ground in dirt, nitric acid works every time. Just dip
the coin in and remove when the bubbling starts to slow down. Clean, very clean.

Dog97

I use the same toothbrush & baking soda that I use to scrub the smoke & coffee stains of my teeth.

MICHAELDIXON

I personally use a small suede shoe brush on my Proof Indians. It leaves such fine scratches that very few people can tell. You can find one Anywhere Hushpuppies are sold!

ARCO

My favorite tactic is taking a huge ball peen hammer and turning the beautiful Gold coin into a fistful of balled, lumped gold. I just love trying to use my own artistic talents to slowly try and reshape the coin the way it was. I usually beat on it till it has some semblance of a circle, then try to carve the original design back using my skilled numismatic eye.

Sadly, my work is as of yet unvalidated by the numismatic community and the major grading services, who (pretend) to be unable to identify the coin!
I did get one through ACG and have yet to sell it

Tyler

psxchelly

one word

D R E M E L

every coin collector should have at least 1 with all the attachments.

michelle

Petescorner

No need to buy a wire brush! I saw this trick on a Martha Stewart show once: Take a 1" X 4" board about 3 feet long, then drive about twenty 2" long nails completely trhough it on one end. It will make a "wire" brush stong enough to get even the toughest grime off, and it doubles as a pretty sturdy backscratcher, too!

-Dan

mrpaseo

Hey, these guys are not kidding about the drumel, try, just for kicks, to use a drummel with the wire brush on the newest Cent that you can find. Just pull it out of your pocket, the results are AMAZING!

Ray

lclugza

Hey MDWoods and MichaelDixon,

could you kindly post pictures of your beautifully brushed Proof $10 Indians? I'd like to see them.

EVillageProwler

Mark,

Don't use a wire brush. Try just carrying it around as a pocket piece. That method seemed to have worked well for me!



EVP

mdwoods

Hey MDWoods and MichaelDixon,

could you kindly post pictures of your beautifully brushed Proof $10 Indians? I'd like to see them.

Not much to look at now I'm afraid. Kinda looks like a scratched up plancet. Guess I'll try EVPs advice on the next one and just use it as a pocket piece.

lclugza

That reminds me of something I posted in the thread "Post your bad advice here." I posted, "PCGS Proof-65 U.S. gold coins (pre-1934) make great "pocket pieces" after they are cracked out of the holder!"
"Bad Advice" thread

mdwoods

That reminds me of something I posted in the thread "Post your bad advice here." I posted, "PCGS Proof-65 U.S. gold coins (pre-1934) make great "pocket pieces" after they are cracked out of the holder!"

Oh my God! I've done some of those things.

Rob0126

Well, you could always drop them into a vat of clorox.

Once they start turning green, you know it's working.

Robert

jom

I don't have any Proof $10 Indians but you can often catch me rolling my MS/AU set of coins down my driveway on the weekends. I believe coins should have exercise to keep them new and spiffy.

jom

nwcs

Hey, I have a gold clad 1933 double eagle we can experiment with!

1jester

Better give it the "tooth" test. What I like to do is simply see how many times the coin will bend before twisting apart. There are infinite shapes available--talk about artwork. Try it sometime!

dorkkarl

you could always submit your coin to a respectable grating service. here's a couple for ya

pcgs: professional coin grating surface

ngc: national grating contractors

acg: advanced coin grating

icg: intensive coin grating

coindaughter

I'm a newbie, but I still think I can answer you with one word.






AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

1jester

Welcome, coindaughter!!!

RLinn

I find an extra firm toothbrush and lots of that tooth whitiening gel you see in infomercials really does the trick on those old dark pennies from the early 1800's. You know...the ones that are about the size of a quarter.

dimeadzn

Just smack those puppies into your liitle-jiffy rock tumbler. Tumble a week with the rough grit, 14 days with the medium and finish with a week of the polish grit. You'll have a smooth and shiny coin suitable for all your crafting and jewlery needs!

BillJones

I’d say putting the coin on railroad tracks would kinder. It would put the poor devil out of its misery!

CharlieB

Forget the wire brush.

I prefer an emery wheel and would suggest starting out
with a #8 polishing compound for about 10 minutes.

Then I would finish it off with an aqua regia bath
for about 24 hours. You will be surprised how
quickly all the problems will disappear by the next day.

- Charlie B -

cladking

All these ideas look pretty good, but where is one to find the grinders and
wheels and chemicals and such? If you lack all this here fancy newmizmatick
accessories, just do like I do. Pop a hub cap off the old Ford and put it in there.
After a few thousand miles of rolling around in the hubcap even the most stub-
orun stains and dirt will come off.

And the slower you drive. the more bang you'll get for your buck.

mdwoods

I think you are onto something Cladking. My car has them new fangled alyouminimum wheels. Mind if I send my coins to you? Of course I would send you a nice apology coin for the trouble.

Bear

I recommend a medium bristle toothbrush and anti tarter tooth paste for that nice bright look. Bear

cladking

Hey there's no need to spend a lot of extra money if you have them thar fancy alyouminimum
wheels. Just drill a hole in the coin and drag it behind the car on a chain. There is some risk
beyond a broken chain though. I hear tell that if you get the hole too big it can affect the value!

Rob0126

cladking, should I use a 1/4 inch bit, or 5/8's?

Robert

lclugza

Has this $10 Indian been brushed well enough? Edited to show picture.