Coin cleaning question??? Silver Coin!

[Jewelry girl]

My friend Jonetta with her new Garrett Ace 250 found her first silver coin!!! We were out hunting at the same spot we found in San Marcus near a river were I found 2 mercs. at the beginning of the new year. Well, she dug a 1934 Walking Liberty!!! I helped her dig it out of the roots with her. It took us a good 15 min. to get it out from underneath the root.
Anyway...I have never had much trouble with cleaning the coins I have found but this coin she has found she has tried about everything to clean it. It is badly tarnished. Black and Grey tarnish with some of the silver showing in areas on the coin. Any cleaning tips welcome! I have a silver polishing cloth that I tried to gently use on it but it doesn't seem to faze it.
Jewelry Girl

 

[JOHNMARKHAM]

you can use tarnx cleaner you can buy at walgreens or cvs...but remember anytime you clean a coin it diminishes the value.....imo

 

[jackinaustin]

What John sai and maybe try the solution of 1 tbsn of salt in 1 ounce of white vinegar. Stinks but works pretty good. (jackinaustin) Congrats on the very nice find!

 

[oldranger]

Congrats on that great find!!!
Heres hoping there are many more to come

Ron

Rangers Lead the Way

 

[BiLL IL]

n/t

 

[Orion42]

If it's too badly tarnished you may have to go to electrolysis.

John

 

[John-Edmonton]

If it's not too rare, use a toothbrush + toothpaste and give it a scrub, or, make a pasty solution of baking soda & water,& rub it over the coin with your thumb, or, soak the coin in 50% water/50% vinegar for a couple of hours, then try one of the previous methods. Off course if it is a valuable find, have it cleaned professionally.

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

Put a slot in a lemon and slide the coin in there overnight. Pull it out in the morning and give it a rub down with a dish cloth or similar It works a treat. One of the guys in the detecting club put me onto it. He's a Jeweller in his day job.
Mick Evans.

 

[Furious T]

Soak in a mild acid, eg. lemon juice, vinegar for a while. Check regularly ( every hour or so) as the acid will damage the coin (badly, if left in too long) Other methods could scratch the coin (invisible to the eye, but there, nevertheless). If the coin is not a valuable one, then getting it shiny by any means is probably acceptable (baking soda, toothpaste etc). If you do put it into salt and vinegar (or any other acidic solution) do not put any copper coins in with it as your loverly silver coin will get a beautiful copper coating.

 

[Uncle Willy]

Sticking it in a potato works also or one can buy a bottle of Tarn-X. Best stuff is a can of Eagle One Never Dull.

Bill

 

[ivanll]