Electrolysis

Has anyone ever tried Electrolysis on a penny..or would it fry it...found a coin spill with one Merc....three pennys...with a crust so thick I cant make them out...
On one penny I can just make out 1909....sure would like to know the rest of the story on that one!
Thanks Kevin

Take it easy on that 1909....may be a key date coin.

Not good for coins. It removes all the toning on a coin. Try some Hydrogen Peroxide heated up some in a microwave and soak it for few hours or overnight. Doesn't seem to do any damage to a coin but it does remove some of the green patina on copper coins. Might be a better way.

Here's post that used an ultrasonic cleaner that had good results.
[www.dankowskidetectors.com]

Rick

Yes I tried the Hydrogen Peroxide Rick..
Didn't phase it....have to try something different

Not for coins but works wonders on iron relics...even then be careful as kept on too long will cause damage....
Might talk to a coin collector on that one....

Electrolysis takes some practice. You just need to be aware that it will bring it down to bare metal. That's not always a bad thing. I've done it to large cents and indians. They come out looking brand new but will tone up after a few years. My two best large cents toned up beautifully and have a nice caramel brown color. They look like coins you would see in a coin shop. The better condition they are to begin with, the better they will come out after electrolysis.

I've used electrolysis on lots of silvers. Some have toned up with awesome colors just like the coins you see at auctions. Of coarse I would be very careful with any key date coin so as to not decrease its value. Sometimes coins are so damaged from being in the ground that the value is ruined anyway and electrolysis might be an improvement.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2019 12:07PM by Badger in NH.

Electrolysis can be a great tool. Make sure you are using less than an amp of power (WAY less) and DO NOT use a car charger for your power supply unless you are cleaning something the size of a cannon. Make sure you check it every couple minutes. You can do more damage than good if you "cook" a coin. Also be aware that there is already considerable damage under that corrosion and it will never look pretty and perfect again.

Silverfiend makes a good point. You should do a lot of experimentation before attempting it on anything nice.

Badly corroded coppers will often come out looking worse. A common misconception is that the electrolysis eats away at the surface of the coin but really all that happens is that all the loose corrosion is removed revealing the pitted surface which occurred while in the ground. Electrolysis doesn't eat away at the metal although it can discolor the coin if done wrong.

Copper coins with barnacles on them are not going to be worth anything. Lime away will clean em off. It only takes about 2 minutes. The pennies will start to turn pale. But at least the barnacles are gone and you can read the coin. Then I rub candle wax on them with my fingers and toss them in the drawer. I tumbled most of my wheats through the years. Very few are worth anything anyways. Indians I clean by hand and throw in a box. My kids can trash them when I'm dead. Silver is very different and that is why we all hunt it.



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/2019 10:27AM by goodmore.

dug coins that turn red....use mineral oil and it can sometimes bring back a more natural appearance.

Drop in virgin olive oil for a couple months and then look at them.

I used to use olive oil on coppers but no more. They say it helps soften the verdigris making them easier to clean but from my experience it doesn't do much. They get dirty and stinky after a few years. They seem to clean up just as well without the oil. I just scrape the crud off with a stick of spaghetti and wipe them down with Zylol.

Hot sauce will clean. Clean the dates off of too. Don’t recommend. Been there and done that.

Thanks all...you have been a big help