Looking for coin cleaning service in CT

ECSU · 07-09-2009, 02:43 PM

I work for Student Activities at Eastern Connecticut State University and we are looking for a company or service that will clean a ton of pennies we have. There's a tradition where each student throws a penny into our fountain during convocation and they are absolutely filthy right now. We are in desperate need to have someone clean them before the fiscal year starts again (August 31st). Any information or guidance would be extremely appreciated.

krispy · 07-09-2009, 03:31 PM

Isn't money laundering illegal? =p

mikenoodle · 07-09-2009, 03:55 PM

instead of cleaning, how about this...

take them to a bank and trade them for rolls of newer clean cents. Problem solved! and at no cost!

wiggam007 · 07-09-2009, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikenoodle

instead of cleaning, how about this...

take them to a bank and trade them for rolls of newer clean cents. Problem solved! and at no cost!

I assume that they want to preserve the historical/sentimental value of having years upon years of students coins in the fountain. If they just have dirt or organic gunk on them, just running them through a soap and water bath with some light rubbing should get most of it off. I highly doubt there are any companies that specifically do this but I don't know. I would suggest making it a campus service project or hiring a few people from the local temp agency if you don't mind paying, but the service project would be a good way to get students more involved.

mikenoodle · 07-09-2009, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiggam007

I assume that they want to preserve the historical/sentimental value of having years upon years of students coins in the fountain. If they just have dirt or organic gunk on them, just running them through a soap and water bath with some light rubbing should get most of it off. I highly doubt there are any companies that specifically do this but I don't know. I would suggest making it a campus service project or hiring a few people from the local temp agency if you don't mind paying, but the service project would be a good way to get students more involved.

I have a problem with some basic logic here.

1) if they are re-using old coins, then why are they worried about their condition? Is it the coins that they want clean? or is it the fountain that suffers the ill affects. If so, I'd clean the fountain.

2) if the students bring their own coins, then how is the school going to make sure that they are clean?

do they have a giant barrel of cents on the way to the stage for convocation? How do the students acquire the cents to toss?

this doesn't make sense to me, it unfortunately sounds more like someone trying to get someone all excited about why you shouldn't clean coins, but I am naturally skeptical

BTW Krispy - loved the joke!!

PennyGuy · 07-09-2009, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ECSU

I work for Student Activities at Eastern Connecticut State University and we are looking for a company or service that will clean a ton of pennies we have. There's a tradition where each student throws a penny into our fountain during convocation and they are absolutely filthy right now. We are in desperate need to have someone clean them before the fiscal year starts again (August 31st). Any information or guidance would be extremely appreciated.

Without comment on the activity itself, I'd use ketchup, it will brighten the surface and it's biodegradable. Maybe it could be a Senior project.

Please understand that as coin collectors we view ANY cleaning of coins most dimly.

wiggam007 · 07-09-2009, 05:57 PM

I guess I should make myself clear: I assume what the op is talking about is that they have a fountain in which graduates throw some change in. This represents the number of people that have passed through the university and so they want to keep the change there. However, after years of the change just sitting there, it has accumulated dirt, grass, leaves etc. I do not believe that they want to polish the coins or anything like that so they aren't worried about people bringing clean coins, but I could be wrong.

I should also note that the only reason I suggested cleaning the coins in such a manner was that they have been underwater for years possibly decades, damage done, no reason not to have it look nice at least since they will presumably be there for a while longer.

diamondjim1956 · 07-10-2009, 12:38 AM

I'd trade you new ones for the "wheaties."

turnedforgood · 07-09-2009, 05:57 PM

Throw some Dawn dish soap in the fountain with the pennies.

**Speedy** · 07-10-2009, 09:49 AM

Quote:

I'd trade you new ones for the "wheaties."

Hopefuly that is a joke...if not please re-read the rules here on CT.

Speedy

diamondjim1956 · 07-10-2009, 10:06 AM

Yes, and apparently not a very good one.

krispy · 07-10-2009, 10:09 AM

Ha! I understood this was a joke. I made a dumb joke early on too.
I like silly humor sometimes. Hope it keeps the atmosphere light while entertaining the more serious issues.

diamondjim1956 · 07-10-2009, 11:15 AM

When I read the original post, I was sure this was a joke. How long has this tradition been going on ? ECSU est. 1889. I salivate just thinking about the posibilities here.

krispy · 07-10-2009, 11:36 AM

...which leads to something I've been pondering since joining CT just a month back, upon seeing all the threads by first time posters with newbie/clueless inquiries, how many are legitimate? Are there and Is there a problem with infiltrators and instigators of the issues of numismatics and PMs in these forums? Just curious because some inquiries and comments seem too base, without the slightest effort of research being performed prior to posting or comments feel engineered to stir it up.

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