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Soaking coins in hot hot water?

FortMyersDrewFortMyersDrew Posts: 158
in U.S. Coin Forum
is this bad for the coin if you just put the coin in hot hot water for a minute or two?
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Comments

  • lathmachlathmach Posts: 4,720 ✭
    It is bad for you if you're holding onto it when you do it.

    Ray
  • Steve27Steve27 Posts: 13,275 ✭✭✭
    " It is bad for you if you're holding onto it when you do it."

    True.
    "It's far easier to fight for principles, than to live up to them." Adlai Stevenson
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,588 ✭✭✭✭✭
    What are you doing? Making coin soup? image

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • FortMyersDrewFortMyersDrew Posts: 158
    just to clean off the dirt and debri on a coin will it harm it at all?
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  • airplanenutairplanenut Posts: 22,319 ✭✭✭✭✭
    At the least, be sure you heat distilled, purified water. Hot tap water will have extra dissolved sediments that will leave a nasty surprise when you're done.
    JK Coin Photography - eBay Consignments | High Quality Photos | LOW Prices | 20% of Consignment Proceeds Go to Pancreatic Cancer Research
  • FortMyersDrewFortMyersDrew Posts: 158
    thanks alot i was trying to find a safe way to clean off my wheats with no problems
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  • StampAlarmStampAlarm Posts: 1,668 ✭
    I had an 86-S Morgan I won on a oldstyle no see'em mailbid auction that was a G-4. Looked just perfect but for 3 small raised black bumbs of dirt. So, what the heck, I stuck it in a dish with water. The black bumps came off. But, 2 blotches of dark grey environmental damage appeared. I think with the coin sitting in the water the other grime loosened and 'sank' into some of the rough areas. I pushed some pennies into silly putty when I was a kid and remember some of the specks of dirt staying in the sp. I keep thinking of something to use along those lines but...? I'm working on it. lol. As for running water, do you have any coins to experiment with?



    Jerry
  • WritersblockWritersblock Posts: 1,196 ✭
    Soaking it in hot water shouldn't cause any problems for most coins (unless your water has a high chlorine content, that can be avoided by using hot distilled water) Your more likely to have problems during the cool down and drying period. After the hot water I would use cool water to bring the temperature of the coins down and then dry them (if you use cloth or paper towels pat dry do not rub) a rinse with a high alcohol% rubbing alcohol or acetone would assist in the drying. The danger during drying is from water spots if you let them air dry, or hair lines if you use the cloth or paper. That's why I like the acetone. Take coin quick rinse with acetone and the acetone evaprates in just a few seconds taking any water traces with it.
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,588 ✭✭✭✭✭
    There are several past threads on cleaning copper so a search may give you addition information. Many here swear by soaking in olive oil or mineral oil but its a very time consuming process (a month or two). Good luck and let us know how you make out.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • DaveGDaveG Posts: 3,535 ✭
    If you're just trying to get dirt off a coin with little numismatic value (say a wheat cent you dug out of the ground), then a little soap-and-water (rubbing the coin lightly between your fingers and thumb) won't hurt.

    Other than that (say for a coin you find in circulation), doing NOTHING is your best bet.

    Check out the Southern Gold Society

  • fcloudfcloud Posts: 12,133 ✭✭✭✭
    The water where I live would leave milk spots if you tried to wash a coin in it.

    President, Racine Numismatic Society 2013-2014; Variety Resource Dimes; See 6/8/12 CDN for my article on Winged Liberty Dimes; Ebay

  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,673 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>thanks alot i was trying to find a safe way to clean off my wheats with no problems >>

    I use Vaseline. It takes the dirt and grime off without affecting the color, and leaves them with a glossier look. But it's not permanent like lacquer. I just put a little dab on each side and gently wipe it all off with a paper towel. It takes the dirt and verdigris with it and leaves the coin looking cleaner and glossier but the original brown color is intact.

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  • MacCrimmonMacCrimmon Posts: 7,058 ✭✭✭


    << <i>The water where I live would leave milk spots if you tried to wash a coin in it. >>



    So, you live inside of the US Mint??? image
  • mach19mach19 Posts: 4,002 ✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>The water where I live would leave milk spots if you tried to wash a coin in it. >>



    So, you live inside of the US Mint??? image >>






    Only the section that produces ASE's ? image
    TIN SOLDIERS & NIXON COMING image
  • sfs2002usasfs2002usa Posts: 875 ✭✭✭
    your may be better off with 99% rubbing alcohol
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,464 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Water wont hurt any more than dirt.
  • topstuftopstuf Posts: 14,803 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Why not use spit?
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,464 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Why not use spit? >>

    image

    too acidic
  • MrHalfDimeMrHalfDime Posts: 3,440 ✭✭✭✭
    Most public water supplies contain many additives, such as chlorine and flouride, in addition to the normally occuring minerals. As others have indicated, I would not use tap water on any coin that has numismatic value. This is particularly true if you have 'hard' water, with a high mineral content. If you insist upon using a water-based cleaning method, use only distilled water, and use pure alcohol to dissipate the water residue when drying. Do not use rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol), as it contains skin emolients and perfumes which will leave a nasty residue on the coin. Use only 70% pure (or higher) ethyl alcohol.

    As stated by DaveG, the best plan is to not clean them at all.
    They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
  • AskRaqAskRaq Posts: 2,303


    << <i> Do not use rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol), as it contains skin emolients and perfumes which will leave a nasty residue on the coin. Use only 70% pure (or higher) ethyl alcohol. >>



    What about denatured alcohol.....?? Opinions, anyone?
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,464 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I agree with not cleaning coins but when the OP has an avatar with a metal detector, I cannot help but think that most of his questions pertain to coins found in the dirt ! Water won't hurt the coin any more if it was found in the dirt by a metal detector.
  • MORGANHUNTER2MORGANHUNTER2 Posts: 4,473 ✭
    Try Goo Gone on copper- it works very well.

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