With over 17 years of experience, Alicia specializes in creating a healthier, green alternative to chemical-based cleaning products and services. Apmex is a well-known auction site for coins. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. How do you clean badly tarnished copper coins? Soak them in vinegar or ketchup: If youve ever used ketchup on your penny, then you know that it can clean it up pretty quicklyand with very little effort on your part at all! To prevent grime buildup, it is imperative that collectible coins be stored in a safe, secure, airtight place. Be patient and try not to get frustrated. 3 Ways to Clean Ancient Coins - wikiHow You will want to use a soft-bristled brush, one that has been well worn in as well as a soft cloth. If you dont have ketchup or another acid, try using a metal polish from a general store. Minelab CTX 3030 Review, on How to Clean a Copper Penny:10 Tips and Advices. You can also find protective books which have individual sleeves for each coin. If you have a collection of copper pennies, chances are that theyre not looking their best. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If you decide to clean your wheat pennies, make sure you start with the least invasive cleaning method first. If you want to go with something that is both inexpensive and likely already in your home, olive oil is the right choice. There are coins worth thousands upon thousands of dollars, all contingent on the condition of the coin. 10 Simple But Effective Ways to Clean Silver Coins - Tips Bulletin Soak for 24 hours. Can I use isopropyl alcohol to clean the coins? This method you will help you to clean old coin properly without any damage to. This way, you can take any preventative measures necessary to clean the coins and retain their value. "Knowing how to safely clean copper is big time helpful. The composition of the coin, the condition of the coin, and the year of the coin all affect its value. Try not to rub the coin too much with your fingers or the dirt, silt, and other residue on the surface can damage the coin. Drop the pennies into the mixture for about 5 minutes. Step 2: Sprinkle Baking Soda. This website uses cookies to improve your experience, but you may opt out if you wish. When a rare coin is found, it is often submitted to professionals, such as those at PCGS, or Professional Coin Grading Services. For older, condition-sensitive coins, a gentle bath of water and mild hand soap will suffice. It can even be used as a metal polishing solution. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean coins? But if you simply want to clean the coins for non-commercial reasons (for example, you just want a bunch of cleaned pennies youve found to become part of your coin collection), the vinegar/lemon juice method will be good enough. While you're grasping the coin firmly by its edges, use a clean toothbrush to lightly scrub the flat surfaces of the coin. How to Clean Coins Without Devaluing Them - ManMadeDIY These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. So at the very least you need distilled water as a working medium. Hello internet and today i will be showing you how to clean your old coins without damaging them and I'll be cleaning my rare 1886 type 2 Indian head cent ju. tb1234 Basic Penny Cleaning Warm water Dishwashing soap Plastic bin Toothbrush Paper towel tb1234 You can also opt for durable plastic holders, which can be square or round. So, in this article, Im going to explain to you exactly how to clean wheat pennies safely and effectively! Add more baking soda and water as needed for larger batches of coins. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Alicia Sokolowski is a Green Cleaning Specialist and the President and co-CEO of AspenClean, a green cleaning company in Vancouver, British Columbia. One of the main reasons for pennies becoming dirty is their continual circulation among people. It may take a couple of applications, so dont be afraid to try this method a few times to get out those tough stains. One good option is the traditional 2 by 2 cardboard and mylar protective sheaths. Mix a teaspoon of salt into the liquid by stirring until it is dissolved. Make sure that you continue to stir in the salt until it dissolves, then place the pennies in so that they are not stacked in any way. Copper, silver, nickel, and gold coins should strictly never be cleaned. One of the most recommended cleaning solutions for wheat pennies is white vinegar. Brighten old, dark pennies in seconds! For a more gradual treatment, leave the coins out of the bowl. Alicia holds a CPA designation and a Bachelors degree in Commerce and Finance from the University of Toronto. If this does not bother, you and you simply want to restore the coin for yourself you can use a baking soda paste. It does not store any personal data. Allow the coins to air-dry on a microfiber or cotton towel. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 438,144 times. What is the best solution to clean copper? These became known as Lincon wheat pennies. Let them soak for a while. Gently scrub the coin with an incredibly soft brush. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. ", "It is so amazing, the power of baking soda and vinegar.". However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Start with a mixture of warm, soapy water when cleaning silver coins. Scrub low-value coins with baking soda and vinegar, lemon juice and salt, or ketchup to break apart tarnish. 3 Ways to Clean Old Coins - wikiHow The first step to cleaning a copper penny is soaking it in vinegar. There is endless information available on the Internet about cleaning pennies, and these ideas can also be used to clean nickels, quarters, dimes, or even specifically cleaning silver coins, etc. If you have any other ideas, please share them in the comments below. After 5 minutes, wash the solution off the coins with warm water, since if its left on too long it can damage them. Dish soap is another good cleaning method and is very gentle. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. If pennies are collectibles, then cleaning them may reduce their value. Mix equal parts distilled water and lemon juice into a container. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is okay to stop at the fourth step, but if some of the pennies dont get clean after you use the paper towel to clean them, you can put them back into the solution and soak for an extra five minutes. But do notenothing is 100% safe or 100% fool proof. How to Clean Old Coins Without Devaluing Them: 15 Methods - Tool Guider You can also clean pennies with a combination of salt and lemon juice or salt and orange juice. Use household cleaners: Basic household cleaners like baking soda, vinegar and salt will work wonders for your copper pennies! Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. You may not see these changes with your naked eyes if you clean carefully, but they are there. When you handle your coins, wear cotton, Nitrile, or latex gloves, and handle the coin only by the edges. Simply run the water over the coin, or let it soak in the water. Shine the coins to make them look better. Drop your coins in a bowl and cover them completely with olive oil. 2 Pour a few ounces of vinegar into a shallow dish. With -cup of ketchup, just dip your old toothbrush in and scrub the surface of the coin. If you dont have a brush available, leave the coins submerged in the ketchup for at least 5 minutes. Before we go into the process of bringing corroded pennies back to life, let us look at the cleaning materials you must have. That would be true if your plan was to only use vinegar to clean a corroded penny. 7+ Useful Ways to Clean Copper Pennies - Tips Bulletin After 24 hours of drying time (72 hours if you live in humid conditions), use a soft cloth like an old T-shirt or washcloth to buff up all sides of your penny until it has regained most of its original shine! This process only works in fluid. Please do not clean collector coins, I don not take responsibly of any damage done. Vinegar is a great cleaning agent because it will remove the copper oxide that's on your pennies. For coins that dont have collectible value, you can use sand, olive oil, and even isopropyl alcohol to get the job done. The Garrett Ace Apex is one of my favorite metal detectors for coin shooting. Pennies have been around since the late 1700s in the United States. Collectors actively look for the tiniest flaws in pennies and they have all the necessary tools to find those flaws. Lightly rub the ketchup into the coin with a soft toothbrush, then rinse off the ketchup. The wheat penny was produced until 1958, with a few changes along the way. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You may want to try using some non-abrasive cleaners (like vinegar) if youre worried about removing any patina on your coinand always keep in mind that these cleaners are only meant as a starting point! And if you're unsure of how to properly clean a coin and you want a second opinion, get in contact with a coin expert before trying any of the following methods. Its a very interesting question and a great DIY project. This step is basically you leaving the pennies to soak inside the salt and lemon juice solution for 15 minutes. Again, cleaning corrosion off wheat pennies can harm the value significantly. Wash each coin gently with a soft toothbrush before rinsing and drying it. Be gentle: A penny is a delicate coin and you dont want to scratch it up in the process of cleaning it. There is something so magical and intriguing about looking through coins from the past. With this simple technique, anyone can get their penny as clean as it once was. Believe it or not, you can clean copper coins using yet another household item: ketchup. If they're extra dirty or if you're cleaning a lot simultaneously, give them a few more minutes for good measure. Overall, cleaning a copper penny is not that difficult most of the time, and any of the methods listed above will be sure to get the job done right. % of people told us that this article helped them. Use distilled water because chemicals in tap water may cause discoloration. Make sure that any cleaner you use is rated to clean pennies prior to 1982. How do you clean old coins without damaging them? The effect is immediate and obvious. First, gather your supplies. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. There are many options for selling wheat pennies. Fisher F22 Review The baking soda isnt acidic like vinegar and citrus juice solutions, so leaving the paste in place for a while is safe. Every cleaner is thoroughly vetted and every cleaning is backed by a 100% money-back guarantee. Clean them off using distilled water and soap, using an old toothbrush to scour them clean. Last Updated: November 9, 2022 Cleaning these will absolutely devalue them if they are not cleaned properlyso just be mindful of this. Keep your coins in a stable, cool, dry location. Plain tap water is a good options, if you know your water is not corrosive or hard. Rinse them off after soaking them in vinegar so they dont reabsorb any of that dirt onto themselves! This detector uses 5 frequencies simultaneously or it can use them individually. They include: Fresh lemon juice Salt White vinegar A toothbrush Baking soda A small container A paper towel. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". After applying, give it a couple of minutes and then rinse using distilled water. All items are affected by the passage of time, and coins are no different. The olive oil is good at separating the dirt from the surface of the coin for a thorough cleaning experience, though it takes substantially longer. According to renowned numismatists, Ivory soap, and water is the safest way used in cleaning steel pennies. Dont leave them in a bowl of water, since the vinegar solution and copper oxide will end up in the bowl and on other coins. Some other options include you can at least look into are: There are many rust removers you can use to clean your coins, and some of them can be very fast and effective, but that is just part of what you need. There are many methods you can use at home to clean your wheat pennies, and other coins you have found, safely and carefully. Use a small plastic container full of hydrogen peroxide. 4 Ways to Clean Copper Coins - wikiHow If needed, use a soft towel or soft-bristled brush to scrub the coin. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Drop your coins into the mixture and let them sit for about 5 minutes. We all enjoy the metal detecting finds we discover, and sometimes, even pennies fall into that category. Ultrasonic cleaners work by microcavitation. Mix in extra salt if you wish, but keep a close eye on the coins to avoid damaging them. Ketchup is composed of vinegar, salt, and tomatoes. Many professional coin collectors and coin valuers recommend leaving the coins as they are. Lemon juice is acidic and can cause damage to the skin if inhaled or spilled. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 60,522 times.