Coin Cleaning Help

Oh. That's easy to do. Just highlight what you want to quote and the word "Quote" will under the window. Then when you start typing in the reply window you'll see "Insert Quotes" pop up. Click on that and select the quote that you want inserted.

 

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Ohhhh....lemme see! So,

Yep...I did that!!

Wow! It actually worked!

This will be handy!
Thank you @gsimonel

 

LaContessa, Thanks for detailed information but could you tell what is steel wool, what it is used for and where from one can get it? I don't think it is available in my town in India.

 

Hi @Alok Verma! If you click on the below link, you'll see what steel wool is. How can they not have it everywhere in India? They must!

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=steel wool

But, after you find out what it is and whether you can find it where you are, I want to say that I do not use it on every coin I am working to clean. As I am gaining experience cleaning coins I am learning two main things:

1. Every coin must be looked at closely to know whether it needs cleaning (many actually do not - but a good brushing and electric tooth brushing will do just fine); and if it needs to be cleaned, each coin may require different handling. One method definitely does not fit all coins that need cleaning.

Some coins are crusty with caked on muddy stuff.
Some crust is like cement and other is easier to remove
Some coins have a sticky grimy tar substance.
Some coins have both of the above
Some are simply dusty

2. I prefer a natural approach to coin cleaning the more of it I do. A good brushing and the avoidance of chemicals is my preference. I pulled out my dad's old surgical instruments and found two I adore. I am practicing with those instruments on some coins I have already cleaned passed. My use of fine steel wool has reached the point where I use the tiniest amount wound onto the slimmest stick like a metal ear swab.

I am definitely becoming a minimalist when it comes to ancient coin cleaning.

And I prefer, now, to avoid wetting the coin. I like working the crusty coins dry first until I get to the patina. Then I find I like to stop working on that coin for a while and just think and look at it and look at my options. Come back to it in a day or two and see what approach or technique it needs (if anything).

Oh! Thanks for reminding me. I had an idea to pull out my steam machine and see if using it as a first step might be beneficial. I doubt I will get around to that today; but, when I do, I'll write back and let you know how it went.

 

I have been blessed to have been to many countries and areas in this Wonderful World that may not have what we consider "everyday" materials or access to things. Sometimes what is commonplace in one area of the world may not be available or used in another.

 

Yes, of course I understand and agree with what you say; but I am thinking of the cooking in India and if there are big pots of food, especially beans, lentils, rice and such cooking somewhere, then they probably have steel wool - even if it has not been impregnated with soap like our kitchen scouring pads. I'm interested to see if they can be found in that Indian town from where the poster hails.

 

I remember watching a documentary where rose thorns were used to clean some delicate relic (perhaps it was jewelry). I was thinking of thorns again when I read this mention of them; but, I could not remember where I had read it! I am happy to find the reference. I will get some rose thorns this week. Thank you, @Kentucky!

 

And, many times as WE label things, they are labeled completely different elsewhere. I search ALL OVER a grocery when I was living in the UK for Corn Starch. It was called Corn Flower, and was packaged completely differently from where I grew up. And at the time I was there, there was no such things as Peanut Butter or Pumpkin, let alone Persimmon...

 

Mmmmmm our persimmon tree has some good ones this year.

 

Be careful using steel wool on ancient coins. It can scratch the patina.

 

Sorry I didn't reply earlier, but the chloride comes from sodium chloride and that is a solid and is counted along with other dissolved solids.

 

I realize that most of this thread is on ancient coins, but the thread title is broad enough for this question, I hope.

I am going to guess that the majority here are going to say that I should start with distilled water, but I want to know what the next, most intelligent, step would be in this case.

As most of you know, the 1928 Philadelphia Peace Dollar is one of the rarest coins in the series, and I won one on eBay a few years ago. The coin itself is in great condition — it is in my safe deposit box at the bank right now so I can't add a photo of it — but it has a dark grey "cast" over the entire coin that certainly detracts from its look and its potential value. I would like to try the distilled water first, hoping that this will remove whatever is on the surface, but if it doesn't, what next?

 

I know absolutely nothing at all about cleaning non-ancient coins. Perhaps someone on a non-ancient thread will be able to help?

 

Coin dealers often use a "dip" to remove toning or tarnish from silver. I don't know what the chemistry of the dip is, but my guess is that if you talked to a coin dealer he or she could tell you where to find some.

 

I would be very careful before cleaning any modern coin. Modern collectors have a pretty extreme aversion to cleaning and most all of the techniques described here would count as cleaning to them and make it a details coin. Your safest bet is to try a dip in acetone(not nail polish remover, it has additives you don't want). Check your local hardware stores. A quick dip in acetone generally isn't considered cleaning by modern collectors' standards and does a great job of removing many types of gunk.

 

Hi...my name is Carl and I am a coin cleaning junkie. Welllllllllll, semi kind of. A dip is normally used for silver coins that are uncirculated or close to uncirculated that have tarnish that is unattractive (as opposed to desirable "toning"). The most common dip is based on thiourea-sulfuric acid and will change the silver sulfide back to metallic silver (with no guarantee that it will stick to the silver already there). Used judiciously and carefully, it can have wondrous results. Incorrectly used, it can create abominations.

 

Lacointessa Thanks. I will try this.

 

Can you post a picture of the 1928?

May be worth sending in for conservation.

 

I would be happy to, and I have been meaning to get back to @Kentucky now that I've retrieved my vintage silver from the bank.

Problem is, I have not been able to get a decent closeup photo yet — and, believe me, I've tried more than once. I can take a shot of the coin that will be clear but not very close in. I would appreciate comments from those who have much experience.

I have just returned from the hardware store with a pint of pure acetone and a gallon of distilled water from Walmart.