Newer coins, such as relatively shiny pennies, tend to dull a little when washed in acid. Copper, silver, nickel, and gold coins should strictly never be cleaned. For coins that dont have collectible value, you can use sand, olive oil, and even isopropyl alcohol to get the job done. It is definitely cheaper to clean it yourself, but there are occasions where it would be more prudent of you to allow professionals to handle it. Hydrogen peroxide can prove effective in removing various materials, including organic material. Collectors actively look for the tiniest flaws in pennies and they have all the necessary tools to find those flaws. Put the coin in the bowl and slowly rub the coin with your finger from both sides. Maintain your coins in great condition through proper care, handling and storage. To clean a copper penny, squeeze out a small amount of tomato ketchup onto the face and back of the coin. Sell them the way they are (or as is) and you will surely gain more money from your pennieswell, assuming they are actually worth something, of course. The level of water in the container should determine when you stop adding pennies into it because they must all get totally submerged into the solution for this process to work. Rinse your pennies well with water; otherwise, if any of these cleaning agents remain on the coin, the coin will turn blue-green. Your email address will not be published. Cleaning Copper With Ketchup: Ketchup can be used to clean a variety of copper products. tb1234 Basic Penny Cleaning Warm water Dishwashing soap Plastic bin Toothbrush Paper towel tb1234 We will focus on the materials you need, how to use them, and most importantly, how to carry out the cleaning process in a safe way so that the pennies do not get damaged or lose their integrity. So our advice is that if you have found some valuable pennies (and have hopes of selling them for big money), it is actually safer to not clean them at all. As an added precaution, you should only mix one tablespoon of ammonia with one gallon of water when using this technique; over-mixed solutions will damage your coins surfaces quickly. Last Updated: October 27, 2022 Use distilled water because chemicals in tap water may cause discoloration. This way, you can take any preventative measures necessary to clean the coins and retain their value. How to Clean Coins Without Devaluing Them - ManMadeDIY Hot sauce and brown colas are some other household substances that work well on copper coins. A professional coin valuer will notice these minute scratches on the surface from cleaning. If you dont have vinegar, lemon juice should work just fine. Give them about five minutes to sit, though you can go for another five if they are not quite as bright as you had hoped. They include: Fresh lemon juice Salt White vinegar A toothbrush Baking soda A small container A paper towel. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Pull the coins out of the liquid and gently wipe them with a paper towel to break apart the tarnish and dark spots. only use vinegar to clean a corroded penny, Metal Detecting in Massachusetts: Laws, Tips and Beaches, Metal Detecting in Pennsylvania: Tips, Tricks, and Laws to Know. The acetic acid in white vinegar can help remove contaminants from your coins. Stir the mixture to dissolve the salt. You can also find protective books which have individual sleeves for each coin. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Both can damage coins easily. If you do not sell your coin, you do not pay. According to renowned numismatists, Ivory soap, and water is the safest way used in cleaning steel pennies. A common ingredient in DIY eco-friendly cleaners, the acetic acid in white vinegar can help wear away the contamination on your coins. If the coins still look a little dull, try treating them with more paste. AspenCleans glass cleaner was voted Parents Green Pick 2020 by readers of the Parents magazine. It does this by using the low levels of acids that are contained naturally in vinegar and lemon juice to remove the patina (brown oxidation) on the penny. The vinegar poured into that bowl should be enough to cover those pennies. This detector uses 5 frequencies simultaneously or it can use them individually. Dissolve 1 tsp (7 g) of table salt in a bowl with of white distilled vinegar. Mix 3 parts baking soda with 1 part vinegar. If you had a rare coin you had cleaned too harshly, and wanted to have it valued, it would reduce the coins value. If you dont have ketchup or another acid, try using a metal polish from a general store. Ketchup. Thats not necessarily to say the material so much as the purpose of the coin. This natural acid can be used to clean coins, pots and pans, and more. This article may contain affiliate links, How to Paint Concrete [From Preparation to Sealing], 14 Ways to Open a Stuck Jar A Helpful Guide, A Guide to Wood Finishes That Are Food Safe, How to Significantly Improve Your Charcoal Grill, How to Remove Scratches From Stainless Steel, Pickled Cherry Tomatoes are Definitely a Thing You Need to Know About. I usually DO NOT use water or oil, b. Some other options to use in place of vinegar include orange or lemon juice. Cool the copper: Leave the copper item in the solution until it is cool to the touch. Vinegar and salt are the best methods of cleaning your pennies. White Vinegar One of the most recommended cleaning solutions for wheat pennies is white vinegar. Gold Nuggets Metal Detectors Have them professionally cleaned or sell them as is. % of people told us that this article helped them. But for coins that have collectible value, they are oftentimes worth more than their face value. If possible, stick to water or dish soap for cleaning wheat pennies. When in doubt, refrain from cleaning anything older than those. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. You can also try using a damp cloth with baking soda, which will help loosen any stuck-on dirt without damaging the coins surface. So here's how to clean a penny with vinegar: Get a small glass (or another kind of non-corrosive container) and fill it with some white vinegar - just enough to submerge a coin below the surface. Remember, cleaning a wheat penny you have found while metal detecting might make it look better to you, but to a professional numismatist, it will be ruined. In your small container, measure in a cup of fresh lemon juice (or white vinegar) and add one tablespoon of salt to it. But before you start your timer, make sure none of the pennies are touching themselves. Other Ways To Clean Copper Coins Without Damaging Them 1. The right materials will effectively clean your pennies and will also be safe for your hands. PCGS offers a restoration service that can aid in cleaning your coins professionally. This website uses cookies to improve your experience, but you may opt out if you wish. Step 2: Sprinkle Baking Soda. How to Clean Silver Coins Without Damaging Them in 7 Simple Steps If you dont have vinegar on hand, filtered tap or distilled water can be used as a substitute. Then, rub a small amount of vegetable oil onto each side of the coin to loosen stubborn dirt. Do not leave the coin in the ketchup for more than an hour or two as it will leave a green oxidation on the coin. Steel pennies were abandoned the following year, and brass pennies were introduced. "Knowing how to safely clean copper is big time helpful. Rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly. Copper coins often turn a muddled brown color, and these marks can be cleaned off with salt and a mild acid like white vinegar. Dissolve 1 tsp (7 g) of table salt in a bowl with of white distilled vinegar. Make a bath using a cup of isopropyl alcohol combined with two tablespoons of salt. Let them soak for a while. How do you clean badly tarnished copper coins? If you don't have any vinegar on hand, a 1:1 ratio of water to acetone will produce the same effect. There are many methods you can use at home to clean your wheat pennies, and other coins you have found, safely and carefully. Well, the general rule is if you intend on selling your wheat pennies, you should not clean them. How to clean a copper penny? Start with two tablespoons of baking soda, mixing it with water into a bowl. This is the important part: rinse with distilled, not tap water. The first step to cleaning a copper penny is soaking it in vinegar. You may want to try using some non-abrasive cleaners (like vinegar) if youre worried about removing any patina on your coinand always keep in mind that these cleaners are only meant as a starting point! Soak them in vinegar or ketchup: If youve ever used ketchup on your penny, then you know that it can clean it up pretty quicklyand with very little effort on your part at all! They can eliminate or reduce the effects of outside contaminates that have caused issues with your coins. EBay, one of the most popular online auction sites, charges a 10 percent fee plus listing fees. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Again, use small circular motions, scrubbing the entirety of the coin for a minute or so. Step 4 Now take out the pennies from that mixture, and wash them in water. Scrub low-value coins with baking soda and vinegar, lemon juice and salt, or ketchup to break apart tarnish. If it's a very thin coin, don't clean it as the vinegar can scorch through it. Vinegar is most effective for cleaning copper. But do notenothing is 100% safe or 100% fool proof. These coins range in value from a few cents to a small fortune, if you are lucky enough! Gently scrub them with either a soft toothbrush or your fingers. Wet the coin with water and roll in baking soda. Drop the pennies into the mixture for about 5 minutes. In that event, you would want to avoid anything highly abrasive that could damage the surface of the coin. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. If it works for you, stick with it. Its important to note that cleaning tarnish off valuable or rare coins can greatly affect their value. For tips on how to shine your coins with baking soda, read on! But if you simply want to clean the coins for non-commercial reasons (for example, you just want a bunch of cleaned pennies youve found to become part of your coin collection), the vinegar/lemon juice method will be good enough. Rubbing or scrubbing a coin (even with non-abrasive liquids) will leave microabrasions on your coin and cause a severe reduction of value or elimination of any collectible value. Mix cup vinegar with 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl that is non-metallic.