Do you know a good way to clean clad and...

[jbow]

bronze pennys? I have tried soaking in detergent and water. I've tried soaking in olive oil and scrubbing with a toothbrush but nothing seems to really do any more than to remove loose dirt. They remain brown.

I did learn to not use Naval Jelly on a wheat penny... I ruined one.

Thanks,

Julien

 

[EZrider]

Heat up peroxide in a glass cup or use a rock tumbler

 

[Erik in NJ]

I use a rock tumbler with some aquarium gravel, water, and a little lemon juice. Works well.
if you want to polish a coin or relic to a lovely shine, get a vibratory tumbler, add crushed walnut shells (pet supply stores carry this) and some Flitz tumbler media additive - after a few days you will be amazed at the shine you've produced.

 

[DukeOBass]

I use a rock tumbler, sand and vinegar.

 

[jbow]

n/t

 

[DukeOBass]

If you want pink quarters, nickels and dimes you can put them in with the pennies.

Otherwise, I run the pennies separate and the rest of them together.

 

[Hungry]

In Australia, I use a wire buff to make our silver coins ( that I get out of the parks ) silver again, I then put them in the little plastic bank bags, and when I have a couple of hundred dollars i take it to the bank and get real paper money for it. I use a pair of vyce grips to hold the coins as they get pretty hot. I'm not worried about scratching them as they are all modern coins from 1966

 

[Rick(ND)]

I too use the real Lemon juice on the pennies with the aquarium gravel and water and they come out great in a hour time. Now on the clad it takes longer with the lemon juice and I even let it sit in the tumbler over night to soak, then run it for a hour or 2 and most look great. I also will use Muratic, but only a little in with the gravel and water and this will clean them nice in a hour. After I use this I use my lemon juice and water to clean off the acid for about 15 minutes.Now on the wheaties I will use the vibrating tumbler a little all purpose cleaner ( I use Awesome I get at the dollar store) and add water until I get a nice rolling action and run for about 5 hours, rinse and dry then put them in with crushed walnut shells for about another 6 hours, rinse off and then just add some water to wash off the dust and they will look normal without being too clean like a rock tumbler will.

Picture before cleaning[attachment 107711 clad.jpg]
Picture of clad after cleaning [attachment 107712 clad2.jpg]
Picture of pennies after cleaning [attachment 107713 pennies.jpg]

 

[jbow]

That's what i'm talkin' bout...

I'll be gettting a small tumbler and a vibrating tumlbler.

Julien

 

[jbow]

n/t

 

[jbow]

Is your paper money as valuable as silver coin? Not here... not even close..

J

 

[Erik in NJ]

i think he means silver colored clad coins - man thats a lot of work. Tumbler is much easier. You might want to get some of that Flitz for the vibratory tumbler - have also heard of jewelers using stainless steel pellets in the vibratory tumbler but i've never tried it yet.

 

[Hungry]

Good day jbow, I have not thought along those lines , I just dig it out, bring it home , wire buff it , if it needs it .write it up in my book and put it into the little bank bags ready to take to the bank. But your right, I will make enquiries about the value of the metal in them. The composition of our silver coins is 75% copper, 25% nickel and the gold coins is 92% copper, 6% aluminium, 2% nickel, so their probably not worth much, as material cost. BUT, i looked in a coin book , and some of the early ones, ( around 1966, when our decimal coins started ) are worth up to 10 to 20 times there face values. So i will have to be a lot more careful of what i wire buff

 

[Erik in NJ]

I think he thought you were talking about coins made of silver as opposed to silver colored modern coins (what we call clad here) - common clad and paper are only worth their face value, otherwise people will hoard the more valuable one - the reason you almost never see the older silver coins in your change.