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Replies: 25 / Views: 1,242 |
New Member
United States
46 Posts |
Hi , I saw on you tube people using the salt and vinegar method for cleaning coins .should I use it ? Or it affects coin value? (Wasn't sure where to post my question)
*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***
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Pillar of the Community

United States
603 Posts |
NO NO NO NO NO! You will destroy any value they have. Acetone. And NO SCRUBBING!!!
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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Pillar of the Community

United States
4354 Posts |
 For now Post some pics. So, we can see what you are trying to clean
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New Member
United States
46 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community

United States
603 Posts |
Acetic acid and sodium chloride will definitely make copper coins nice and shiny. Thankfully you weren't doing this to something worth more than 1 cent.
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
20588 Posts |
Almost all modern coins require no cleaning of any kind, irrespective of condition. Organic residues sometimes can be removed with acetone. Problem with some organic residues, such as fatty acids is, that they can still be mildly corrosive, and can leave damage behind. Permanent fingerprinting on a coin is a good case in point.
Exceptions may be those recovered from burial, such as detector finds.
Passivation and removal of verdigris from bronze and copper coins requires specialist knowledge, and should not be attempted without lots of research for the method most appropriate to the particular coin. Even then, cleaning without further damage can still be somewhat of a lottery. Ask any museum.
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Pillar of the Community

United States
2536 Posts |
Ya it really cleans them. That's the result you get, not natural tone at all. You just ruined any value if there were any value. More than 50 years ago I was told vinegar and soda also, so I took all my cents out of the folders and "cleaned" them. They were nice and clean for about 2 months, then the corrosion set in. Luckly there were no key coins in the lot. My point, STAY OFF OF U TUBE.
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Pillar of the Community

United States
603 Posts |
Cleaned up a Morgan dollar with a pencil eraser when I was a kid. Made it real nice and shiny!
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5617 Posts |
Every raw circulating coin I get I dip in acetone. This just removes any oils, in case some one touched it. I don't touch proofs or anything from the mint. I dip in the acetone, leave for a few seconds. Put the coins on a clean towel and then put them in a flip. I use cotton gloves to keep any fingerprints off. Only reason I do this is that I have found fingerprints after a few months of buying a coin. The acetone removes the oils before they etch onto the coin. If a coin has been in a 2 by 2 for years I don't touch. In case of verdis, you can use Verdi-Care as it does a great job, but make sure you test on regular coins. The coins you cleaned have no numismatic value, so cleans those all you want.
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Bedrock of the Community

United States
13855 Posts |
Vinegar and salt solution to clean a coin?  Heck no - might as well dip it in muriatic acid.  
Edited by Dearborn 11/30/2022 4:47 pm
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Pillar of the Community

United States
603 Posts |
I'd like to see pics of those coins in about 3 months.
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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Bedrock of the Community

United States
18456 Posts |
One of the commandments of coin collecting is '' Thal shall not clean coins '' . I wouldn't pay attention to you tubes advice on how to clean coins . They obviously know nothing about coins . If you are experienced there are a few ways to conserve coins . When you take a Lincoln penny and put it in salt & vinegar you destroy the coin and it's value . 
Tony
For Butch & Jim rest in peace .
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9186 Posts |
For older copper, we collectors don't like to clean but preserve and conserve coins here is a good thread and video on just that. http://goccf.com/t/404457I put up my friend Bill Eckberg's video where he really explains it best, check it out, I hope it helps and answers questions.
"Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1982, Early American Coppers Member (EAC) #6202, Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4), Conder Token Collector Club (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS), & Numismatic Bibliomania Society (NBS) Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440
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Bedrock of the Community

United States
18456 Posts |
If you're really into salt & vinegar just add some olive oil, a dash of pepper and make yourself a nice salad . 
Tony
For Butch & Jim rest in peace .
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Bedrock of the Community

United States
13855 Posts |
Quote: If you're really into salt & vinegar just add some olive oil, a dash of pepper and make yourself a nice salad . Or just use the salt and vinegar mix to sprinkle on potato chips!! Yummy!!!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9186 Posts |
T-Bop  Just leave the coin out unless you want to chip your teeth!  Here is a current thread ongoing on a real expert collector of large cents working on a seriously troubled coin. http://goccf.com/t/435186And an even older thread on Verdi-Care from me with photos of before and after shots. You can get the Verdi-Care from Wizard Coin Supply (google is your friend). It is made by one of our own forum members here at CCF it's great stuff for conservation and repairing dirty copper. http://goccf.com/t/378882
"Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1982, Early American Coppers Member (EAC) #6202, Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4), Conder Token Collector Club (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS), & Numismatic Bibliomania Society (NBS) Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440
Edited by westcoin 11/30/2022 5:23 pm
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Replies: 25 / Views: 1,242 |
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