You want something a bit more gentle for silver coins but you will need a heavier abrasive for your copper pennies. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Dissolve 1 tsp (7 g) of table salt in a bowl with of white distilled vinegar. Copper, silver, nickel, and gold coins should strictly never be cleaned. In this article, we will go into details about the steps you should take if you want to turn corroded pennies into their original fine, bright form. 5 How do you remove green corrosion from copper coins? But we recommend the vinegar or lemon juice approach because the materials are safe for your skin, overall quite very effective, creates little to no mess, and the risk of damaging the pennies is fairly low. For some of us, they just collect in a container until they are used or traded in. This technique is an easy way to clean silver coins and zinc pennies without causing damage, too. Basically, it all depends on why you are getting your pennies cleaned in the first place. Just make sure you keep the rubbing to a minimum. Minelab CTX 3030 Review, on How to Clean a Copper Penny:10 Tips and Advices. So, in this article, Im going to explain to you exactly how to clean wheat pennies safely and effectively! Remove tough tarnish on coins by soaking them in hydrogen peroxide or . Your fingers contain oils, acids, and minuscule pieces of grit that will adhere to the surface of the coins and cause them to discolor or suffer microscopic scratching. They will not pay you until you have shipped the coins. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. This process only works in fluid. But if you simply want to clean the coins for non-commercial reasons (for example, you just want a bunch of cleaned pennies youve found to become part of your coin collection), the vinegar/lemon juice method will be good enough. Start with a mixture of warm, soapy water when cleaning silver coins. You can also use baking soda and salt to clean your pennies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Grab some past with your thumb and forefinger, rubbing it gently onto both sides of the penny. If you dont have a brush available, leave the coins submerged in the ketchup for at least 5 minutes. For preservation purposes, most collectors recommend against treating collectible coins. Be gentle: A penny is a delicate coin and you dont want to scratch it up in the process of cleaning it. Rinse the coin very well under warm water. Pennies have been around since the late 1700s in the United States. Dish soap is also a good and very gentle way to clean coins. Just make sure that you gently apply the olive oil and you can help prevent tarnish over time. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. If you dont see any results after trying a method for a few minutes, move on to something else. The best method for achieving that is with salt and vinegar. One good option is the traditional 2 by 2 cardboard and mylar protective sheaths. Ketchup can restore the copper glow of a penny. Vinegar and salt are the best methods of cleaning your pennies. Simply run the water over the coin, or let it soak in the water. You can also clean pennies with a combination of salt and lemon juice or salt and orange juice. If you dont have vinegar on hand, filtered tap or distilled water can be used as a substitute. Step 5: Rub Away the Tarnish & Grime. Use a stronger acid like ketchup or cola to strip away the green patina that forms when copper is exposed to salt and water. This makes it easier for copper atoms to join oxygen from the air and chlorine from the salt and form a blue green compound called malachite. Soak the Pennies in Vinegar. If I must choose a cleaning method, I will choose distilled water. These coins range in value from a few cents to a small fortune, if you, Read More How to Clean Wheat Pennies Safely and Without DamageContinue, ABOUT|AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE|PRIVACY POLICY|TERMS OF USE. If needed, use a soft towel or soft-bristled brush to scrub the coin. Rinse off any excess liquid with water and set aside to dry. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. If it works for you, stick with it. Shine the coins to make them look better. Then dip your coins in the solution and let them soak for an hour or twothe longer they soak, the more oxidation will come off. What do you see? I hope you enjoyed this article and have learned more about how to clean wheat pennies! In this video, I'm showing you the 2 safest methods to clean coins without devaluing them. I go from light cleaning, to using soap and water, to using olive oil. Try not to rub the coin too much with your fingers or the dirt, silt, and other residue on the surface can damage the coin. To clean your copper coins, start by adding some vinegar or orange juice to a small bowl, and stirring in 1 teaspoon of salt. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This detector works very well in areas with high soil mineralization. Kids Metal Detectors When a rare coin is found, it is often submitted to professionals, such as those at PCGS, or Professional Coin Grading Services. [5] The salt and vinegar in the ketchup will remove tarnish from the penny. Those are meant to clean items like antique silver vases and your wedding ring. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You can visit a local coin dealer if you have one nearby. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. They must all lie flat at the bottom of the container. The olive oil is good at separating the dirt from the surface of the coin for a thorough cleaning experience, though it takes substantially longer. Ammonia works well for removing rust from copper pennies, but it can also damage the surface of the penny if not used properly. Therefore, before cleaning old coins, consult an expert on the subject. The wheat penny was produced until 1958, with a few changes along the way. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. After applying, give it a couple of minutes and then rinse using distilled water. One not so common cleaning method I found is using ketchup. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUbe88W78I0&feature=youtu.be&t=13, https://sciencebob.com/clean-pennies-with-vinegar/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mMp2OYpCq8&feature=youtu.be&t=27, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHZSYR463uw&feature=youtu.be&t=41, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS9-A1TO67c&feature=youtu.be&t=45, https://www.pennycollector.com/cleaning.html, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/shine-bright-like-a-penny/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7cfVkadI_A&feature=youtu.be&t=174, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7cfVkadI_A&feature=youtu.be&t=928, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUPuRLcm7WY&feature=youtu.be&t=516, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUPuRLcm7WY&feature=youtu.be&t=542. Stir the mixture to dissolve the salt. Wash each coin gently with a soft toothbrush before rinsing and drying it. Its best to wear rubber gloves when handling the ketchup and penny because they can both leave your hands stained red if you arent careful! It is okay to stop at the fourth step, but if some of the pennies dont get clean after you use the paper towel to clean them, you can put them back into the solution and soak for an extra five minutes. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. There is something so magical and intriguing about looking through coins from the past. Lemon juice. For instance, use a small applicator to "paint" only the heads for an unusual "cameo" effect. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. How to clean green corroded copper coins Mix cup vinegar with 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl that is non-metallic. Step 6: Rinse Silver Coin With Cold Water. You can clean as many pennies you want with a single pencil eraser. Instead, use a soft cloth and a gentle detergent (like dish soap) to clean it. Gently scrub the coin with an incredibly soft brush. This is what gives some pennies their odd bluish hue. The soap should help keep the coin safe while you gently scrub it. Mix your hand soap in with the water, creating a soapy mixture. After 5 minutes, wash the solution off the coins with warm water, since if its left on too long it can damage them. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Dont leave them in a bowl of water, since the vinegar solution and copper oxide will end up in the bowl and on other coins. Clean pennies with Vinegar and Salt NurdRage 664K views 10 years ago How to CLEAN coins HardCoreCopper 43K views 1 year ago Coin Collecting : How Do I Clean Dirty Coins?. When in doubt, leave the coin as you found it. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". There is no way to clean a coin without damaging its collectible value, even wiping with a cloth causes scratches that reduce the value in the eyes of professional collectors. Some of these have relatively sound science behind them, but they should be used at your own risk. Copper is a soft metal, so copper coins are prone to degrading over time. WATER. Lightly rub the ketchup into the coin with a soft toothbrush, then rinse off the ketchup. How do you clean old copper coins without damaging them? Patience is key: The best way to clean a copper coin is by using patience and not being afraid to try new methods until one works well enough for you without scratching up your penny too much while doing so. The best way to clean pennies is to never ever clean them. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Do not clean these valuable pennies on your own, and if you do, only use distilled water. To clean softer or more valuable coins, your best bet is to lightly rinse them in warm water, then pat them dry with a microfiber cloth. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Please do not clean collector coins, I don not take responsibly of any damage done. In this video I clean three old worn large cents. The Nokta Makro CF77 Coin Finder is another great detector for coin shooting.