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 Replies: 16 / Views: 6,397 |
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New Member
Brazil
2 Posts |
I'm Brazilian, and while on a trip through Europe and the US I decided to start a "foreign coins" collection. I have never collected coins before. I got coins from several countries I visited, and when I got back I decided to clean them, as several were very dirty. Sadly, I took the lazy and dumb approach and just threw them all at once in a pot with vinegar and left them overnight, hoping the acid would eat away at the dirt and grime... It made them look hideous, so I tried some alcohol + salt and some metal cleaner next, and the end result is now this: bad link removed
As you can see they are mostly the wrong color now (pinkish), where some have the right color just in a section of it (presumably where other coins were on top and protected that area from the chemicals). Is there any way to save these coins now?
Thank you. Edited by Nantes
04/04/2017 10:34 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10034 Posts |
 to the forum! It is a common mistake to think that if a coin looks shiny, then it is better. However, there is no way to restore the original look of the luster to the coins. Anyone who is experienced in the coin hobby will know when a coin is shiny b/c it has been cleaned. Cleaning also ruins much of the collectable value a coin has to people in the hobby. Don't get me wrong. If there is dirt on a coin's surface, then a gentle washing with mild soap and water (no rubbing or you scratch the surface with the dirt particles). The idea is that if the dirt can come off without making any marks whatsoever on the coin, or altering the surface of the coin in any way, then cleaning will not ruin the value to a collector. A valid way of removing some things from the surface (such as glue residue, paint, etc.) is to use acetone b/c acetone cannot react with the metal in any way. However, vinegar is an acid. You have removed a microscopic layer from the coin surfaces. Therefore you have altered the coins so a condition that any collector would say they are ruined for the hobby. We have all made this same mistake in the past. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
869 Posts |
Since you have nothing to lose at this point, I would say soak them in MS70. It would at least remove the pink from the silver coins. The copper ones unfortunately will never be the same. Live and learn . .  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3058 Posts |
DONT CLEAN COINS! Very big thing in collecting. You could have a $1M coin, clean it, and make it a $100,000 coin.
Welcome! To coin community!
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Rest in Peace
10197 Posts |
to the family! Yea, oops! Those are most likely goners if they're copper, cupro-nickel clad/coated. Vinegar reacts to the copper within these alloys doing just what happened to you. In some case actually changes the properties of the upper layers into a slightly different composition,, that's why you can't go back to restore original. Sadly, sounds like you have to start over. What Earle42 said is spot on, but also remember that under that "crud" may leave an altered look, shiny or duller, just depends on how long it was on coin. Dishsoap works great on the "oily" grease, the acetone removes organic grime. Might also try a very long soak in mineral oil (-6 weeks), but no guarantees on that method. If any are of silver content, a silver cleaner(dip) may help. Final thought would be try a sonic jewelry cleaner, it also might work, especially on those that "overlapped".  Flag4: Never heard of MS70, what is that? Something like WD40? Edited by Crazyb0
04/04/2017 12:27 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Norway
1358 Posts |
Well, it seems like you got yourself a fantastic excuse to come back to Europe and the US! Seems like you already got some 'dirty' change to spend, now. Honestly, these coins are written off when it comes to collecting, but they still are legal tender, so you can just spend them again. Just consider it 'learning money' as the Dutch call it. Next time, just keep an eye on what you get in change all the time and use a few minutes every night to go through what you got during the day. Then pick the nicest ones, and update ones that you already got in case you got a nicer one. That's how I keep my collection of 'travel souvenirs': Coins are the only souvenirs I bring from countries I visited, and I visited 100+ of them. What I also do is a bit of preparation to find out which coins are currently circulating in a place and what varieties to look for. It's especially fun when you spot a certain coin you still lack in a cash till and ask the cashier if you can buy it. The look you get usually will be the same as when you declare that the sun rose in the west that day or that you just set water on fire. Oh, and don't ever, ever, consider cleaning coins again. Just use a wooden toothpick to get rid of dirt that's attached to a coin and a soft cloth to wipe off finger prints: it's the only 'cleaning' I do as more would do irreversible damage to coins. Anyway, good luck and welcome back to us in Europe!  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10982 Posts |
I'm assuming these have no numismatic and are still worth face value of course. In the future don't clean any coins at all. This was likely a very inexpensive lesson.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3184 Posts |
lets hope none of the coins were expensive
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Pillar of the Community
Poland
3201 Posts |
I cannot see any image but by the description alone I think I know what the result was. I remember reading that once they're pink that's it and nothing can be done to improve them (apart from polishing which just means damaging them further).
If it's just currently cicrulating change, it's best to spend them someday when you visit those countries again... preferably in vending machines (as some clerks may not want to take the pink coins - just as much as they don't want to take ground finds which have toned black).
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
10743 Posts |
Aarrgggg, never, ever clean coins.  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Indeed. Anyway - to the CCF! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4211 Posts |
Nantes! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
869 Posts |
Quote:
Flag4: Never heard of MS70, what is that? Something like WD40? It's been discussed here before . . http://goccf.com/t/118885Some folks like it, some don't . . I've found it useful under certain conditions, if used properly . . |
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Moderator
 United States
187804 Posts |
to the Community, Nantes! I am sorry to hear what happened. For me it seems these coins had the additional sentimental value attached to your travels. The important thing is to remember what you did wrong and start again. Hopefully it will not be too long before you can re-assemble a decent foreign collection. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4212 Posts |
Vinegar---->salt----> metal cleaner
That's got to be the cleaning trifecta.
Sounds painfull, no pics is a good idea.
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New Member
 Brazil
2 Posts |
Thanks for the replies and the warm welcome! After years of meditation, consultation with wise old monks in the mountains of Nepal, and peregrination around India, I have developed an incredible, miraculous technique to restore these previously hopeless cases! It involves the latest cutting edge in numismatic cleaning technology... steel wool! Voilą: http://s1064.photobucket.com/user/K...show/?sort=9Who would have guessed, right? |
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Replies: 16 / Views: 6,397 |
Posted 04/04/2017 11:30 am
