Cleaning coins with vinegar and salt??

Yeah, or any other kind of acid and two dissimilar metals. They used to tell you to use silver dimes and copper cents. Now, they tell you to sand or scrape the copper off one side of a "penny" to expose its zinc. (So I guess I have to admit that Zincolns are good for something.)

 

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I remember an old experiment where you hold a cent and a dime (pre 1965) in the form of a V and put your tongue between them. You get an immediate sour taste from the cell that has been formed.

 

My mother used to polish her copper pots and pans with salt and vinegar, pretty caustic stuff as I remember, but in the 50's they didn't have teflon, or fancy cleaners.

 

OK, here's a quick (and not so good) experiment. Six cents - three post 1982 and three pre 1982:


Soak these in a vinegar/salt solution. Remove two (one each clad and not) after approximately 5 minutes and let them sit on tissue paper, remove two more, rinse and dry them and allow the last two to stay in the vinegar salt for about 20 hours. In that order, here they are:

 

@mlov43 @doug444 @V. Kurt Bellman @SuperDave ...Any comments on my experiment?

 

I'm not sure I could compose any coherent reaction without employing expletives.

 

Hey, come on...they aren't all that bad. I was surprised that they didn't come out much worse. I still have them to see how they do over time.

 

The '66 and '74 are "improved," by certain standards, at least a little. I'll give it that much.

 

I know, I was surprised. Not about to start cleaning coppers this way, but interesting. The ones that were left to dry with the salt on them are developing a nice patina...perhaps I should post them in the Ancients forum.

 

Interesting, But I can't say I'm a fan of the look.

 

I bet the two on the left would attract deer.

 

Funny how salt and vinegar reacted differently with each of those coins. What was it about that 1966 cent that makes it seem that the brown toning went away? I guess it's just those chloride ions that stripped the toning away (and perhaps a little of the brighter metal beneath it?).

And, yes, those other two look like salt licks...