how to clean old nickels

I have 2 common date Liberty Head nickels from the early 1900's. They both have ugly, nearly black toning or grime. Both technically grade EF or better.

Even though I am adverse to cleaning any coin, I figure cleaning the toning away would only help these coins.

Anybody out there with best suggestions to clean old nickels? I thought I'd try just plain soap and water before trying any chemicals.

Thanks

Steve

 

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Steve, let's see what you're looking at. You ask a general question like that, though, and you're generally going to get general, non-helpful answers.

 

good idea

Yes, a photo would be a good idea. So I have to get a good digital camera and lens to do it. Okay, I'll have to finally get a digital camera. So far, I've been using my IPhone for photos, but doesn't take close-ups well.

Until then, general advice appreciated as well.

 

Try a soak in distilled water for a while, not tap water. Avoid soap, may leave soap-scum build-up and if the soap has fragrance or any citric/citrus, glycerin or alcohol type ingredients they might affect the color of your coin. Pics of most any kind will improve your feedback results.

 

Ok, I'll see what my Iphone can do. Fuzzy, but something.

 

IMO quality before & after photos would be good.

 

true, true! it would be a great favor if you could do before and after shots. cheers!

 

pics

Sorry for the fuzzy quality, folks, but at least this will give you an idea of the toning. And actually, the darker coin really is so dark, it's more like corrosion instead of toning. Spend that one on my next coffee?

Here's the better one.

 

And yes, I am looking forward to getting a decent digital camera for close up work.

And I really do think this is the best answer:

".....And if the toning is that dark then the toning itslef will probably have eaten into the surface of the coin enough to leave pits and signs of corrosion.

In all honesty, your best bet is to get different coins, that you are happy with as they are, to replace the ones you have. And either sell the ones you have or leave them alone....."

posted above.

But I want to practice a bit on these coins to see what happens. It would be educational.

 

BTW, I am planning on spending the other one for coffee, along with a couple of 1941 Jeffersons. Maybe I'll see a letter to Coin World exclaiming, Look what I found in circulation.......

 

Even from the blurry pics that does not look bad. A little crust give original circulated character to a coin. If there is any organic material in that crust you can try a quick acetone dip, otherwise I would just leave it alone.

 

You should be able to get better pics with your iPhone with a little more effort and they don't seem all that bad, maybe not your taste in toned coins, but I'd hang onto them rather than trying to spend them hoping for a novelty effect at the till or an unseen surprise for someone else down the road... they may get picked up and sorted out of circulation if they make it back into the Fed.

 

Ionize and ultrasound.

 

Seems to me you just said the "best answer" wasn't good enough.

 

eddie

eddiespin, good point.

I guess there's the best answer, and then there's actually acting on the best answer.

A question in my mind is the metal content of the coin. There are ample dip solutions on the market for silver coins, and there's a lot of advice for silver coins. But this is nickel and copper. Does the same dip that works for silver do the same thing for nickel/copper? I can't believe it would have the same effect. So I'm curious as to what happens to a nickel when dipped.

 

Clueless on that, Steve, sorry. As I understand you, you're basically asking about a dip, which, given the nickel/copper coin isn't what one would refer to as a "goner," could restore same to some kind of "market acceptability," or, pushing that some, even result in a higher grade. You know, like the silver dips do? Just don't know, though.

 

Once they get that black color to them I don't know of anything that will get rid of it short of abrasives. Sorry

 

Go the gentle route first, soak your coins in distilled water only for a good few weeks if need be and change the water now and then. READ the plethora of coin cleaning threads on CT before you dip or rub or do anything with Chemicals... it might change your mind before you alter these or any other coins.

 

Try This: Get a small plastic bowl with a cap and 2 cotton balls and fill it with water. Put the coin in between the cotton balls and close the lid.Shake and then open it up and rub the coin with the cotton ball