Cleaning coins/relics without using water?

I may have asked this before in a different form of the question but just in case I havent

I'm big on trying to clean my finds. I do make sure the coins are not key dates because those I wouldn't want to mess up. I would like to eventually put my relic finds in display cases and I already put coins in display holders if I can

A problem I seem to have sometimes is that water and soap will do more harm than good as happened to me with a large cent I found the other day that looked like it would clean up just fine, but it started flaking after using water. (my bad). I also run into a problem on Indian heads where I can never seem to get all of the dirt off especially around raised points like the head/date. What methods do you guys use that doesn't require water to remove the dirt off of coins and relics?

All water is not the same. Tap water or city water has a lot of chemicals in it that can cause damage. We learned this the hard way several yrs ago in Virginia while cleaning a Virginia staff button at the hotel. The chlorine had a bad reaction with the button and basically the next day it was so dried out and brittle that it fell apart. Bottled spring water is your best bet for that.

Coins and relics have been in the ground for many/hundreds of years.
Tanic acids in the soil,wet months at a time with chemicals in the soil.
I'll use use tap water and soap.

I use an artists stipple brush to clean artefacts/coins without water. It's quite successful, the soil/dirt comes off, the patina is lightly polished, but no damage occurs, unless you do it to excess. (stipple brushes use a very large number of short bristles densely packed - the ones I have are round, about 8mm diameter, with 3mm long bristles.)
They can also be used to wet clean, they scrub harder than soft brushes like old toothbrushes etc.

Might try tumbling those coins in walnut shells. Also, those old large cents and IHs if cleaned can give a red dried out tint. Try putting a small amount of mineral oil on them to bring back their natural color. Bigger relics you might try a small hand sand blaster designed for baking soda.

Dew

watch these 2 vids

#1 for coppers
#2 for silvers

[www.youtube.com]

[www.youtube.com]

Generally I gently just dry brush, and will use the side of a toothpick or my fingernail for crud. Been down the soap and water road as well and most times haven been happy with it. The one exception is if I find a button that I think may be holding a lot of gilding. Them I'll use a water ammonia mix briefly, then wash in a baking soda paste to help neutralize the ammonia. Its a piece by piece deal that you learn from experience, certain buttons like yankee staffs often have a lot of gold on them and just pop when the ammonia hits them. Any coin - harsh chemical mix Ive tried hasn't given me good results. One large cent turned purple after looking great for about a month.

[www.wikihow.com]

Why would you not use warm soapy water soak and then a plastic bristle brush?

For copper coins, soak in very warm hydrogen peraxide. Leaves the patina intact and beautiful.

Detectorist Wrote:
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> For copper coins, soak in very warm hydrogen
> peraxide. Leaves the patina intact and beautiful.

Agree,I posted that on another for about 3 weeks ago.
It attacks the organic material only.

Detectorist Wrote:
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> For copper coins, soak in very warm hydrogen
> peraxide. Leaves the patina intact and beautiful.


I have used this method for Indian head pennies and it works ok but it does discolor the patina and it doesn't seem to work for Large Cents.

supertraq Wrote:
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> Why would you not use warm soapy water soak and
> then a plastic bristle brush?


Watch Michigan Relic Hunters video and you'll see why.

If its anythng valubale such as relics/Artifacts like brass I do a dry clean only..

Water will turn alot of exposed brass Purple...

By dry cleaning I mean just that...toothbrush....broken stick exposing wood fibers....toothpick broken to expose fibers etc...also for small crevices a needle works quite well...

dry cleaning will leave the PATINA on the relic that otherwise could/Should flake off with water..

Now my exception to the rule is if I start cleaning a relic and its got Gilt...at that point I go wiht Lemon juice and q-tip .. this will turn exposed brass green at times but it will bring out a lot of hidden gilt...rinse with deionzed water after using the lemon juice..

For lead soap and water work well to remove the stains and keep the lead white..

Silver coins I soak but thats it..if its tarnished it stays tarnished...I dont run silver coins...Im taking about 1900 silver ut 1700/1800 silver I keep them mostly dirty rinse off with water...

Copper cents like big pennys and such DRY CLEAN ONLY if its justdirt crusty dirt packing....If its Crusted I like a Olive Oil bath ..then once details ar seen I go wiht a wet look for display.. by this I apply vaseline and basically leave it like this ..it will stay wet along time with vaseline on it...not globby but a light sheen coat...


Shield nickles are tough..there old and neat but I jsut basically leave them dirty jsut dry clean..Im not messing them up with liquid...

a cleaned nickle usually is just red/Purple and thats unattractive even dispalyed wet.

Iron I have lot sof tings I do wiht iron .. its according on the artifact...I even rebuild missing sections with powder rust and elmers glue..

Ive gotten pretty good at restoring iron..first off it helps to get it back to some shape of resemblance of original...electrolysis is the method I most use to remove corrosion.....but its a learned process..It take time to become proficient..practice on horshoes before you tear up a lockplate or gun hammer or stirrup Etc..

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

I just clean with a tooth pic and leave them that way.I like my coins and relics a little dirty. Reminds me of the day I dug them up
Corey

Keith have you ever tried apple cider vinegar on iron? I saw a vid with a guy cleaning up old ax heads he soaked them for a few weeks, wire brushed and they looked pitted but terrific.

I like the white vinegar on rusty iron, even extremely rusty iron. It's surprising what comes out. It still looks old with no rust. When you get it out of the white vinegar and wash it in in water. Dry in the hot sun or a warm area. A light rust will form and you need to wire brush it off. Whiles it's warm I put on furniture wax. I suppose car wax would work too.

Never tried Vinegar..

Should work since its acidic...

What method to you use to get the Vinegar residue out of the metal?

Ive found that on iron you have to stabilize it or it will start to rust again even if coated..if theres any sort of salts left in the iron..

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

I washed in water. A light rust film will form. Clean the rust film off. And I sealed in wax. When the iron is warm the wax disappears into it sealing it I believe.

The iron will be all black out of the vinegar. When cleaned in water and sealed it looks old with no rust.

To me it looks better than electroysis.

Ok ...After electrolysis I like to burn the metal in a fire to draw out the salts and also put a carbon coating on the metal...

then seal it with briwax..

Thanks Rick!

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Folks, I've been a coin collector and metal detectorist for over 40 years and the rule "don't clean your coins" rings as true today as ever before. But a caveat is in order... most ground finds will not be worsened given the fact that they have already been corroded and the value will not be diminished by a harsh cleaning. And a harsh cleaning is any abrasive mechanical cleaning done with your fingers, a toothbrush, a rag, a fine horsehair brush, etc. Any mechanical cleaning is likely to dislodge minute particles of corrosion that are subsequently dragged across the surface of a coin resulting in a hairline scratch. And that scratch can never be repaired..

With that said, I've never seen an older copper or nickel coin come out of the ground in any condition other than corroded. Have at it; those can't be hurt with a mild cleaning. Same goes for common 90% silver that is traded as bullion.

Rare silver coins need to be cleaned via chemical dip or electrolysis only. I was the next highest bidder on the 1901-s quarter that was auctioned off by Great Collections last year and that example showed the resultant after an electrolysis bath. Although the surface was slightly porous from the electrolysis, it showed no scratches nor shiny high points. It was as good as that coin would ever get.

If you don't have an electrolysis bath already set-up, you're missing out on the best cleaning technique out there. Heck, I just finished electrocuting a discolored proof seated dime that will go off to PCGS next week.

Give it a try, you'll likely be pleasantly surprised.

Only use vinegar when you can fully submerge whatever you are cleaning. While vinegar will clean rust, it can also cause rust on surface areas not directly in the vinegar. A quick dip in a baking soda solution to neutralize the vinegar, followed by a light coat of linseed oil, and you should be good. I have successfully cleaned axe heads in this manner and flash rust has not been an issue.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2015 03:50AM by aguerrero56.