Metal Detecting Finds

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by VT4Pac, Feb 12, 2019.

  1. VT4Pac

    VT4Pac Active Member

    Hi everyone,

    I have a bunch of metal detecting coin finds that are a mix of mine and those of a good friend. I don't have any silver in this batch. 20190212_183230.jpg 20190212_183205.jpg 20190212_183148.jpg

    I'd like to try and clean them up if possible but without ruining what little value (if any) they may have. I tried a method I saw online of freezing them in distilled water and then thawing. The idea was to keep repeating this and eventually the dirt will separate from the coins as the ice melts. I did it like four times and saw little, if any improvement.

    So do you think there is anything I can do to clean these up? Or is it pointless because they're pretty much worthless anyways? As always, appreciate the help!
     
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  3. alurid

    alurid Well-Known Member

  4. VT4Pac

    VT4Pac Active Member

  5. Noah Finney

    Noah Finney Well-Known Member

    Hi there, I see that you mentioned you have trouble freezing your coins in water...... this takes lots of time and effort. I usually freeze mine and let the ice melt once a day for a month. It works after time, and it is slighty effective. I also like to use coin care, this is a coin preservative that I find works on taking dirt of off coins. you need to use a cotton swab and light circular strokes on the coin for the dirt to lift off. Now keep in mind, this is a preservative, not a cleaner, the coin should not tone after use. One bottle tends to cost around $8-10 on ebay..... check it out https://www.ebay.com/itm/Coin-Care-...r-Nickel-Copper-Bronze/282152761554?hash=item

    upload_2019-2-12_20-18-47.jpeg
     
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  6. VT4Pac

    VT4Pac Active Member

    Nice, I really appreciate it Noah. I guess I need to have a little more patience with the freezing method. I'm going to order a bottle of that coin care now. Thanks!
     
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  7. juris klavins

    juris klavins Well-Known Member

    Most copper coins dug from the ground will never be as nice as those that have spent life 'above ground' - you might try soaking them in a capped glass jar of extra virgin olive oil for a while (weeks or months), then gently poking at any crusty deposits with a toothpick - if you have something truly numismatic and valuable, other methods are preferable, but the overall condition is what it is when dug o_O
     
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  8. Lon Chaney

    Lon Chaney Well-Known Member

    Yeah I would say wash with water to get excess dirt off then leave as is.
     
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  9. StephenS

    StephenS Member

    I love posts like this! :)
     
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  10. Wingnut6999

    Wingnut6999 Currency loving custodian

  11. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    Once coins have long term Environmental Damage there is nothing you can really do to make them look new. Just get the old dirt off and leave it as is. They are permanently damaged.
     
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  12. Shrews1994

    Shrews1994 Collecting is my passion.

    Haha can one possibly find the many Indian head cents and two cents. And one dimes this old and buffalo nickels? Were did you go? That's amazing.
     
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  13. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    Maybe Indiana? :wacky:
     
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  14. Shrews1994

    Shrews1994 Collecting is my passion.

    I wish I got this lucky. I'd never leave that area.
     
  15. VT4Pac

    VT4Pac Active Member

    These are from many different hunts. Most were found around old house sites on farmland in Virginia with the owner's permission of course. Some were river finds.
     
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  16. Shrews1994

    Shrews1994 Collecting is my passion.

    That's real cool. I use to live in Virginia. In Charlotte county.
     
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  17. Prez2

    Prez2 Well-Known Member

    I live in Virginia and I find nothing despite having access to much land. I guess metal detecting just isn't good to me and I refuse to pay ridiculous prices for higher priced machines. I guess that's that. Cudos to ya.
     
  18. VT4Pac

    VT4Pac Active Member

    Nice, yeah I'm in southeastern VA but I know where that's at, had some family that lived not too far from there.
     
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  19. VT4Pac

    VT4Pac Active Member

    Thanks, yeah I get lucky because my friend's a metal detecting fanatic and does all the research and secures the permissions. There is definitely a lot of history in VA in the right spots, colonial, civil war, all sorts of stuff.
     
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  20. Prez2

    Prez2 Well-Known Member

    Yeah that's what I keep hearing and I know it's obviously true but I can never find anything 'historical' unless you count people's buried trash. I'm great at finding that.
     
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  21. Shrews1994

    Shrews1994 Collecting is my passion.

    Mee too. Beer cans. Mostly..lol.
     
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