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Replies: 17 / Views: 3,562 |
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Valued Member
United States
52 Posts |
I know what soap is... But there are all kinds of soap. so I am wondering, what soap do people use to clean coins? Most soaps have all kinds of additives. I cant find a single brand that doesn't.
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Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
The kind of soap we use  Well soap is not in our vocabulary . Another words Don't clean your coins ! 
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Valued Member
United States
123 Posts |
I have found coins were there was so much grime on them I couldn't make out the date and/or mint mark, what would be best to do with coins like these?
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5238 Posts |
Acetone is always harmless to coins.
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Rest in Peace
United States
7075 Posts |
 Use only pure acetone and let it sit for awhile.
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Rest in Peace
10197 Posts |
And if you just HAVE to pick after a soak, use a toothpick!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
564 Posts |
Think of soap as an acid. Never use soap on coins.
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Moderator
 United States
187702 Posts |
Quote: I have found coins were there was so much grime on them I couldn't make out the date and/or mint mark, what would be best to do with coins like these? Follow Bad Thad's polarity ladder. 
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Valued Member
 United States
52 Posts |
Jbuck. Thanks. For that article. Didn't know about xy. I do some metal detecting and some coins could be cleaned ok.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
When I was a kid I used to clean dirty coins with a soap called Lava. Sure ruined the coins but they did shine.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19931 Posts |
Metal detecting is a wholly different game, generally, found coins must be cleaned in some fashion. The Polarity Ladder was written for "normal" coins, not for those those found buried. That said, the first step I'd take on a dirt coin is hot, running tap water and your fingers. I've had good luck with that method on very dirty coins.
Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
Edited by BadThad 03/25/2017 7:26 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4333 Posts |
I've tumbled thousands of dirty, mostly modern, previously buried coins in a rock tumbler, using a drop or two of liquid soap, aquarium gravel, and H20 to cover, for about a half an hour. These are the only coins that I clean.
Always separate clad from copper when tumbling.
When I listen to LED ZEPPELIN...so do my neighbors... Roll hunting since '77 Dirt fishing since '72
Edited by fistfulladirt 03/26/2017 08:18 am
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Moderator
 United States
54280 Posts |
Quote: I've tumbled thousands of dirty, mostly modern, previously buried coins in a rock tumbler Not recommended for anything except coins you will be spending and NOT collecting.
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Valued Member
 United States
52 Posts |
So I was reading about MS70 Everyone says don't use soap. But when I found the ingredients isn't it really just soap?
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Moderator
 Canada
10456 Posts |
I have used pure liquid ivory soap sometimes, and only with my bare (and clean) fingers. It really depends on the coin, and if the coins is worth the damage already incurred to it from dirt, corrosion, etc...
"Discovery follows discovery, each both raising and answering questions, each ending a long search, and each providing the new instruments for a new search." -- J. Robert OppenheimerContent of this post is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses...0/deed.en_USMy eBay store
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Moderator
 Canada
10456 Posts |
To follow my comments on the soap up, this pure nickel coin was from a 1973 Canadian Prestige Double Dollar mint set. The coins in that set were placed in open red felt-like slots (not encapsulated). When I rescued this coin it was covered in a red fluff. A hot water bath, and light touch with liquid ivory soap on my fingertips managed to remove the red fluff and some of the haze affiliated from it. Is it perfect now? No, because a tiny part of the coin's surface has been altered (you can see that in the obverse photo). But, using only my fingertips, no hairlines were imparted upon the coin. PCGS thought it was good enough to pass muster. It is now in a PCGS SP66 holder. 
"Discovery follows discovery, each both raising and answering questions, each ending a long search, and each providing the new instruments for a new search." -- J. Robert OppenheimerContent of this post is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses...0/deed.en_USMy eBay store
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Replies: 17 / Views: 3,562 |