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"Cleaning Copper Coins Without Affecting Their Color" - by lordmarcovan
Goldbully
Posts: 17,913 ✭✭✭✭✭
Not only is lordmarcovan a contributing forum member, he is an eBay Top 5000 Reviewer.
Just thought I would share the man's talent with the coin forum.......great info, thanks Lord M!!!
His Review:
Cleaning copper or bronze coins by polishing them or using brass cleaner or similar products will leave them with an unnatural orange appearance. This is NOT desirable to knowledgeable collectors, the vast majority of whom prefer their coins in an "original" state. For example, a 100-year old Indian Head cent that has been in circulation is supposed to be brown, not orange-red like a new cent would be. Improper cleaning can have a seriously adverse effect on the value of your coins, so when in doubt, don't do it! Coin cleaning in general is considered to be a big no-no!
By using the term "cleaning" in this context, I am merely referring to the removal of loose surface dirt and grime that might have accumulated on the surface of the coin over time. There are a number of commercial coin treatment products like "Blue Ribbon", which are designed to clean off surface dirt and leave the coin with a more pleasant, glossy appearance, yet which also leave the original coloration intact. While most of these are great products, my method is simpler and cheaper, and readily available anywhere.
All it amounts to is a very light application of petroleum jelly (Vaseline), which is gently rubbed onto the coin with fingertips and then gently removed with a soft cloth or paper towel. That's it! You should find this removes loose dirt and grime quite effectively, but will not alter the coin's color, unless it was really dirty, or you rubbed too hard.
Some numismatic purists will point out that any rubbing of a potentially valuable coin is not a good idea, and rightfully so. You certainly would not want to do this with the delicate surfaces of a proof coin, for example, since your rubbing might leave hairlines on the coin. Obviously, a little common sense goes a long way. I merely suggest the light Vaseline rub as a simple, harmless cleaning method for average copper or bronze coins like Wheat cents or Indian cents in the circulated grades. I have done it for years with no adverse effect on my coins. However, common sense and the "if in doubt, don't do it" rule still apply.
The end result of a Vaseline rub is not dissimilar in appearance to that of lacquering, which some old-time collectors practiced. However, it's less messy and less permanent. Mineral oil is just as good, though I prefer Vaseline since it's less runny and therefore tidier. (Of course mineral oil is better for soaking coins than Vaseline). A wooden toothpick can be (carefully) used to remove dirt buildup in recessed areas like the lettering on a coin, and I am told that a large thorn, such as can be found on rosebushes, is even better, since it's harder than the pine toothpicks are made of, but still not hard enough to scratch a coin, if you're careful.
Many folks, particularly those who handle ancient coins, prefer olive oil soaking over extended periods- sometimes months. This is another time-tested method of removing dirt and grime from coins, and is harmless, but it is slow, and I was always too impatient for it. I also noticed that olive oil would sometimes leave a sticky residue on my coins, but perhaps I was using the wrong kind. Once, the olive oil I was soaking some coins in went rancid, and smelled horrible!
Specialists in early copper coins, like the EAC (Early American Coppers) organization, have a number of more sophisticated tricks up their sleeves for treating old copper, but this is just intended as a simple tip for folks with dirty Wheaties or common Indian cents, not rare early large cents.
Sometimes you will come across more corroded copper or bronze coins, particularly if you are a metal detector hobbyist like I am. When a coin is buried and receives environmental damage like pitting, the process is usually irreversible, but I have another trick that can sometimes help their appearance, if only a little bit. Cut a slit into a raw potato, and stick the coin inside. Leave it in the potato overnight. When you break open the potato the next day, you'll likely find that the starch in it has pulled a surprising amount of blackish-green gunk right off the surface of the coin!
The "Tater Trick" is really only for miserably crusty coins, though, and produces mixed results. It can sometimes change a coin's color somewhat, but if you started with a crusty, corroded coin to begin with, you haven't got a lot to lose, and a potato should do no additional harm. I often will do the "Tater Trick", followed by light brushing or rubbing, and then repeat the process, doing a Vaseline rub as the final treatment. I once posted this trick on a metal detecting forum and many folks tried it successfully. A few reported no success with it at all- that happens sometimes. One complained it did nothing to help his silver coins, though I had only recommended the trick for copper and bronze.
Robertson W. Shinnick, World Numismatist
eBay Link
Just thought I would share the man's talent with the coin forum.......great info, thanks Lord M!!!
His Review:
Cleaning copper or bronze coins by polishing them or using brass cleaner or similar products will leave them with an unnatural orange appearance. This is NOT desirable to knowledgeable collectors, the vast majority of whom prefer their coins in an "original" state. For example, a 100-year old Indian Head cent that has been in circulation is supposed to be brown, not orange-red like a new cent would be. Improper cleaning can have a seriously adverse effect on the value of your coins, so when in doubt, don't do it! Coin cleaning in general is considered to be a big no-no!
By using the term "cleaning" in this context, I am merely referring to the removal of loose surface dirt and grime that might have accumulated on the surface of the coin over time. There are a number of commercial coin treatment products like "Blue Ribbon", which are designed to clean off surface dirt and leave the coin with a more pleasant, glossy appearance, yet which also leave the original coloration intact. While most of these are great products, my method is simpler and cheaper, and readily available anywhere.
All it amounts to is a very light application of petroleum jelly (Vaseline), which is gently rubbed onto the coin with fingertips and then gently removed with a soft cloth or paper towel. That's it! You should find this removes loose dirt and grime quite effectively, but will not alter the coin's color, unless it was really dirty, or you rubbed too hard.
Some numismatic purists will point out that any rubbing of a potentially valuable coin is not a good idea, and rightfully so. You certainly would not want to do this with the delicate surfaces of a proof coin, for example, since your rubbing might leave hairlines on the coin. Obviously, a little common sense goes a long way. I merely suggest the light Vaseline rub as a simple, harmless cleaning method for average copper or bronze coins like Wheat cents or Indian cents in the circulated grades. I have done it for years with no adverse effect on my coins. However, common sense and the "if in doubt, don't do it" rule still apply.
The end result of a Vaseline rub is not dissimilar in appearance to that of lacquering, which some old-time collectors practiced. However, it's less messy and less permanent. Mineral oil is just as good, though I prefer Vaseline since it's less runny and therefore tidier. (Of course mineral oil is better for soaking coins than Vaseline). A wooden toothpick can be (carefully) used to remove dirt buildup in recessed areas like the lettering on a coin, and I am told that a large thorn, such as can be found on rosebushes, is even better, since it's harder than the pine toothpicks are made of, but still not hard enough to scratch a coin, if you're careful.
Many folks, particularly those who handle ancient coins, prefer olive oil soaking over extended periods- sometimes months. This is another time-tested method of removing dirt and grime from coins, and is harmless, but it is slow, and I was always too impatient for it. I also noticed that olive oil would sometimes leave a sticky residue on my coins, but perhaps I was using the wrong kind. Once, the olive oil I was soaking some coins in went rancid, and smelled horrible!
Specialists in early copper coins, like the EAC (Early American Coppers) organization, have a number of more sophisticated tricks up their sleeves for treating old copper, but this is just intended as a simple tip for folks with dirty Wheaties or common Indian cents, not rare early large cents.
Sometimes you will come across more corroded copper or bronze coins, particularly if you are a metal detector hobbyist like I am. When a coin is buried and receives environmental damage like pitting, the process is usually irreversible, but I have another trick that can sometimes help their appearance, if only a little bit. Cut a slit into a raw potato, and stick the coin inside. Leave it in the potato overnight. When you break open the potato the next day, you'll likely find that the starch in it has pulled a surprising amount of blackish-green gunk right off the surface of the coin!
The "Tater Trick" is really only for miserably crusty coins, though, and produces mixed results. It can sometimes change a coin's color somewhat, but if you started with a crusty, corroded coin to begin with, you haven't got a lot to lose, and a potato should do no additional harm. I often will do the "Tater Trick", followed by light brushing or rubbing, and then repeat the process, doing a Vaseline rub as the final treatment. I once posted this trick on a metal detecting forum and many folks tried it successfully. A few reported no success with it at all- that happens sometimes. One complained it did nothing to help his silver coins, though I had only recommended the trick for copper and bronze.
Robertson W. Shinnick, World Numismatist eBay Link
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Comments
Well, just Love coins, period.
My wife works for a dentist, and so does my mother so I have access to the ultrasonic cleaners. My wife mentioned that she often cleans her jewelry in the ultrsonic which is what gave me the idea to try in on some circulated common coins. It worked better than expected, didn't effect color, and I dried them immediately to prevent any chance of corrosion. Just thought I would throw this into the thread.
Dwayne F. Sessom
Ebay ID: V-Nickel-Coins