Bathing Coins

Rhubarb · Senior Member

I know that I have read a post on how to clean or Bathe coin's using a pot and water and something else.

I can't find the post now. The wheat's have green martian ball's of some kind stuck to them.

Rhubarb

rollmeupabe · Veteran Member

Don't do it to this coin. If you have a coin that has a little value you don't want to reduce or eliminate that value by trying to clean it. Others may have some approaches to clear some of the green goop off your coin but I would wait for advice from some of the experts.

Rhubarb · Senior Member

Thank's rollmeupabe. I will take your advice and wait.

Rhubarb

Bob P · Site Admin

Rhubarb,
There are a couple of ways to go about cleaning the dirt and gunk off the coins without affecting the patina. Chuck like to boil the coins for about 5 minutes or so in water with a little bit of baking soda.
My personal way is to buy yourself some Goo-Gone. It is a citrus based cleaner that's also used to remove gum, price tag sticky stuff etc. I let the coin sit in the goo gone for a while (5-10 minutes), then using a q-tip or the like, I slowly blot off the green stuff. You can also dip them in the Goo-Gone, and then brush them off with a soft toothbrush. This has worked well for me for many years, but the toothbrush can leave minute scratches.
Whatever you do, do NOT wipe the coin with a rag or something else that may move the dirt and crud thereby scratching your coin. Always blot the coin dry.
Try these techniques on coins extra coins you are not trying to save anyway, and see what works for you.

Dick · Expert Member

Rhubarb, DO NOT USE ALUMINUM POT!!! Click on coppercoins, and go to all his posts, or you might search by title. I think it would be easier, but longer, by going thru hisposts from (9/2006-11/2006). I know that he posted specific instructions re boiling coins. Any coin you want to save, for value, or whatever, be VERY careful about cleaning it! Cleaning coins, in general is a "NO_NO"!
Dick

Rhubarb · Senior Member

Thank's Dick. Bob P posted the way he clean's coin's. I will use his method to clean the green ball's away from the MM. It's very anoying to look at a coin and a Marshin's ball's or green ball's of something is looking back at ya. Thank's Dick

Rhubarb

Dick · Expert Member

David, I just tried my suggestion, and can't get past page 2.
Dick

Rhubarb · Senior Member

Congrat's Dick on being the 14,000th post.

I have found the post. It took alot of looking.

Rhubarb

Dick · Expert Member

Hope it serves you well. THere are times when it is ok, if one is careful, (and doesn't plan on selling the coin), to clean it, so there isn't so much crud, and it will fit in with the others, but be VERY careful, otherwise.
As for the 14,000th post, I gues that is what I get for being such a chatterbox! Someone had to do it!
Dick

coop · Expert Member

I believe Chuck mentioned a double boiler set up. That way the coins are not touching the heat, but just suspended above the lower pan boiling. When you put them into one pan the ones near the hear tone in a way you don't want. Ask Gary Cox. He's been there and done that already.

Dick · Expert Member

That he did, but maybe I didn't do it the way he said, apparently, because mine came out clean, but very dark! I don't know if it was, the Stainless steel pot, too much baking soda, (arm & hammer), being in the basket, IN the water, maybe too much dishwashing liquid, or what. Anyway, they feel "slippery", and are very dark, albeit, they are also very clean. Maybe Chuck will pop in, and enlighten us. The good part is there isn't any GREEN CRAP on them! Depending on the coin, there is a mixture of coloring on them. Every color of the rainbow!
Dick

coop · Expert Member

Sounds like they laid on the bottom and the heat got them. Rolling Eyes

Dick · Expert Member

Nope! They were suspended in a SS mesh basket, down into the boiling water to where they were totally covered, but up away from the extreme heat from the burner. The only thing that I can figure out is that the SS kettle was not so SS as it could have been. CD said put the coins in a double boiler, one of those with the porcelean covering. Thet may be where I went astray. I haven't given up, yet, but I want to get some more "Culls", to try. I could put the same ones back in, but then what??? Maybe they will turn white! No, that wouldn't work either. One thing for sure, if you don't try "something", you will never know if it would work, or not.
Dick

coppercoins · Site Admin

There's a difference in method according to the number of coins to take care of...

I use Goo-Gone when there are but a few coins to deal with. A q-tip and some Goo-Gone, rolled around on the surface of the coin, then let it dry off.

When I have a bag of coins to prep for looking through, I boil them in a porcelain double boiler (K-mart for $1 Cool

with a couple of tablespoons of baking soda. Works well for taking years of circulation black away from the devices, and cleaning them up so I can see in the crevaces where most doubling is evident.

coop · Expert Member

Chuck: Maybe an image will help so they will use the right container?