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 Replies: 14 / Views: 6,167 |
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New Member
United States
3 Posts |
Thinking of doing the baking soda, aluminum foil, and hot water trick. Is this considered a bad idea
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Pillar of the Community
United States
528 Posts |
well what are you going to do with all of these things?
I would say that unless this coin is VERY nasty and you are not worried about its not really a great idea
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New Member
 United States
3 Posts |
Well so far I've just been researching what I have and getting them stored properly. Trying to figure which ones ,if any, would be worth sending of to get graded. Just going buy pictures and what info I've read at least half seem to be cosevativly in the low au's, but then what do I know. The whole VAM thing is really opening the flood gates of reaserch needed. I tried taking some pics but have to work on it more, cant get the resolution were it needs to be to see the details on line. As a side note, I found 1698 si ciliae copper coin, a 1786 mailed bust facing left CT coin, and a 1786 NJ wide shield coin. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
Thinking of doing the baking soda, aluminum foil, and hot water trick. Is this considered a bad idea
I must reall be getting old since this one confuses me. Exactly what are you going to do with those items? What type of water? Where does the coin fit into this situation? |
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Valued Member
United States
61 Posts |
I'm not sure but I recently had a set of coins graded and the gave the whole set a Pf 60 details rating because some bloke apparently in the 1920's or 1930's decided to immerse the coins in baking soda to clean them. I could not tell at all but the graders could.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
602 Posts |
From what I understand the whole baking soda/aluminum foil method is basically electrolysis without the electric. It will only remove the foreign matter and leave the coin pitted. I have done both with metal detecting finds. If these are bronze or copper the olive oil bath seams to be the prefered method but may take some time. I know of people that have soaked coins for up to a year in the stuff. WOLF
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New Member
United States
3 Posts |
Wolf has it right. This is the way old timers would clean up silver in a pinch. I figured that since this can be done with almost no contact or harsh ingredients it would be the best way to go. So far every thing I read tells me not to mess with cleaning my Morgans at all, so I guess they will stay gray for now.
Baking soda is used all the time for cleaning antique auto and motorcycle parts. This is done using the same method as sand blasting, just replacing the sand with baking soda, hence the name "Soda Blasting". DO NOT TRY THIS ON COINS. Just thought Id throw out some useless knowledge.
Thanks guys
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Valued Member
United States
258 Posts |
Only do this if you want to destroy the coins value in 30 seconds or less. Sincerely, John Leckrone
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
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Only do this if you want to destroy the coins value in 30 seconds or less. People say this all the time but it really is no more damaging than a dip in a commercial acid based coin dip. That isn't to say that a commercial dip isn't damaging. And if you leave the coin in the solution and in contact with the aluminum long enough it WILL eat holes in the aluminum. |
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Valued Member
United States
188 Posts |
To get the effects you desire, you want to use baking POWDER not baking soda. Its is a little more harsh tha heated poroxide. I wouldn't use it on anything that I can identify. I use it for old coppers that I find with the metal detector just to try to identify what the coin is when you can't get a date. Even then I only use it if poroxide doesn't work. Personally I never use anything other than acetone on coins that are worth anything. Then dry with canned air to prevent spots.
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New Member
United States
6 Posts |
Baking soda doesn't leave pitting at all. I think this whole 'never clean coins' thing is a bit overblown. Next time you go to your coin shop, listen to see if you hear an air compressor being used. If you do (I know I always do), guess what? They're CLEANING their coins. Many ALWAYS clean their coins. Fact is, most every collectible coin over the past 200 years HAS BEEN cleaned. Really, it happens quite routinely and I don't understand the negativity surrounding doing it. Really is ridiculous to say that "your coin is now ruined" or "your coin is worth much less" because someone thinks it's been cleaned. The geniuses over at CT rode that horse into ground and they're simply wrong. Let's not ride that horse here too.
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Valued Member
United States
294 Posts |
Are you going to do some magic trick, or is it some esoteric drug concoction that you're going to take?
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12477 Posts |
I've followed your comments TommyP, and it seems you are interested in cleaned/uncleaned coins. I suggest creating a new topic of your own on the subject and not rehashing topics several years old.  In Memory of Crazyb0 12-26-1951 to 7-27-2020
In Memory of Tootallious 3-31-1964 to 4-15-2020
In Memory of T-BOP 10-12-1949 to 1-19-2024
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CCF Advertiser
United States
1533 Posts |
I think you should fold the aluminum foil into a cup, add the baking soda to the cup, add hot water to the baking soda. Then sip slowly until your upset stomach settles. Keep all of these things away from your coins.
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Valued Member
United States
404 Posts |
Andrew has the most reasonable answer. Baking soda is a surfactant= SURface ACTing AgeNT meaning that it chemically bonds to or affects the surface of substances or materials it comes into contact with
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Replies: 14 / Views: 6,167 |
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Posted 08/12/2010 5:19 pm
