first large cent how do i clean?

[greedykind]

I found my first large cent today.She is 1813 and i am freaking out because the green patina is drying out.I packed her in dirt on the way home and have her soaking in olive oil right now.She has amazing detail so what should i do now?I will post before and after pics shortly.Thanks charlie

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Real nice find Charlie !
Olive Oil is real safe way to go - just be careful - as they say ... "you can't unclean a coin" !

 

[ZOFCHAK]

Boiling peroxide works great for me. Here's a couple pictures of a Large Cent I found in 2009. It had good detail as well, but it was tough to see through the 150+ years of crud. After boiling it for a while I used Never Dull wadding polish to remove the green, it darkened the coin a bit, but not as much as it seems in the pics.

 

[greedykind]

Thanks zofchak anyone else?

 

[reltolbert]

8% Vinegar with a little bit of salt added. Dip coin in for only 10-30 seconds. This should clean your large cent.

I saw this method on a video. The link is: www.wikiHow.com/Clean-Coins

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

There are many ways to clean coins and there are also many different opinions on the subject.
Old copper coins can easily be damaged if not cleaned properly - as mentioned before - "You can't unclean a coin" !


I'm far from being a coin expert - but there are a lot people in this forum and on the internet that are - key wording - "coin cleaning" in Google will lead you to some great info. on the subject.
I've used Olive Oil - hot Peroxide - Baking Soda - Salt & Vinegar and Electrolysis with good results - Nothing I've used does a better job than Electrolysis - it's anon abrasive way to clean coins, jewelry and relics - but it does remove the Patina.

Here's a 1820 Large Cent I cleaned in an Electrolysis Bath last year - since these photo's were take the coin has darken a lot on it's own and it looks "older again" - but all of the foreign matter has been removed. If your interested you can learn how to build your own Electrolysis Bath on the internet - just key word - "Electrolysis + coin cleaning" in Google.
You can build an Electrolysis Bath in a matter of minutes for less than $5.00. A WARNING - Electrolysis is very safe to use - but don't leave the piece in the bath to long - (usually 5 to 10 mins. is all it takes ) - it will only attack the foreign matter that's on the object your cleaning - but after all the foreign matter is gone - it will start to attack the object itself !

Good luck !

 

[Goes4ever]

I would NEVER use vinegar on a coin except nickels.....it can pit coins for sure. Please post a pic so we can see what were dealing with. Peroxide is generally Sahel to use on old coppers. I have had good luck with it.

 

[Bilko]

IMO olive oil is always the safe option but it can take ages

 

[greedykind]

Wow i think i am going to try ketchup first and if doesnt work then peroxide.If anyone had any issues with the acid from ketchup?Thanks charlie

 

[Goes4ever]

I have had ketchud pit nickels, not sure about copper

 

[ZOFCHAK]

Wow i think i am going to try ketchup first and if doesnt work then peroxide.If anyone had any issues with the acid from ketchup?Thanks charlie

Any acid will attack the patina on the coin. It will definitely clean it, but I don't think you'll be happy with the results.

 

[greedykind]

What type of cleaning will prevent pitting?I guess i will not use ketchup or vinegar.Peroxide is sounding like my best option.I will not be selling my coins and it is not a key date i just want to see her.

 

[Goes4ever]

I'd try peroxide for sure

 

[diggin jimmy hoffa]

I'd try peroxide for sure

I second that suggestion as well.

I used the peroxide method on my CW Token that I recently found and as you can see it did a great job.

In case you haven't done it before,

I use a little medicine dose cup and fill with peroxide and zap it in the microwave oven for about 28 seconds (time may very) or until it starts to spew / boil. Take it out of the microwave and place your coin in it. You will see it start to fizz, which is the crud reacting to the peroxide. When it stops fizzing, carefully take it out and wet a Q-Tip and lightly roll it across the coin. Repeat the process until you are satisfied with your coin. You can reheat the same peroxide a couple of times.

Good Luck and post a before and after photo.

DJH