My best friend always looks down at the ground when we go for walks because he is really quite lucky finding huge amounts of change in sidewalk crevices and dirt patches. He finds several dollars per week! Unfortunately, these coins are often very corroded and almost unrecognizable.
We read an article about how you can drop them into vinegar and salt baths, and then rub baking soda on to each of them individually to clean them. Sounded time consuming. We tried just putting them in a bath of vinegar, salt and baking soda, then did a bit of scrubbing and wiped them off. Beautiful, shiny, just like new.
Editor's Note: This process is fine for modern coins but older coins can be damaged by cleaning and it could affect the value. Be sure to have older coins appraised first.
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I have some old copper penny coins. What is the best way of cleaning them? Some are really dirty being from the Victorian era.
By steve from Liverpool, England
I don't know if it's the same for coins as other antiques, but I know that there are times when you don't want to clean an antique item too much. Some of the value is in the patina. You might want to call around to coin dealers in your area and ask.
If you're still wanting to clean the copper coins, the first two techniques that come to mind are 1)using a lemon (cut in half) and salt to scour, or 2)using catsup and salt. If you do a quick internet search, I'm sure that there are other recipes using household items.
If you really want to clean them, soak them in coca cola for about 30mins, depending on how dirty they are, if really dirty, you may have to leave them longer. They will come up new looking and sparkling! So you can imagine what coke does to your insides if it can actually clean copper coins!
I have a coin that is tarnished and I would like it to be shiny again. I am not worried about it's value as a collectors item or anything. It's just regular old 50 cent piece that I would like to clean up.
By Jess from Hillsboro, OR
Baking soda moistened and a soft cloth. Or use purchased tarnish clean from the store.
1) MAAZ Metal Polishing Creme
Nickel plating is cheap and therefore tarnishes very easily. There are several different methods to choose from when looking to clean and polish nickel plating or nickel-plated finishes.
First, try soaking the nickel plating overnight in a water and vinegar mixture or solution (Create a water and vinegar solution that is in the following ratio: 4:1, this means, for every one part vinegar, you add four parts water. Example: One cup of vinegar and four cups of water)
Second, pick-up oven cleaner and a soft cloth and spray a little of the oven cleaner on your nickel plated finish.
Third, WD40 and steel wool works great if there is just a little tarnish (or green color) showing on your nickel plating.
Four, pick up nickel polish and use the nickel polish to shine your item. Nickel polish often comes in a can with cotton wads. The cotton is used as the cleaning material along with the nickel polish.
Five, take a ride to the grocery store and pick up pure household ammonia (not a mix or a house hold cleaner, you need pure ammonia). Immerse the nickel plating or nickel-plated item directly into the ammonia (do not dilute the ammonia). Let item sit for no more than five (5) minutes. Any longer may cause damage to your nickel plated item.
Try soaking the coin in ketchup for a few minutes then clean with soft cloth, repeat process until desired shine is reached.
Depending on the coin's silver content, there are several ways of cleaning it. If it has any silver in it at all, I'd just stick to tooth paste...not the gel, and an old toothbrush. If it doesn't contain silver, but you just want to make it shiny enough for the "tooth fairy" for instance, then just use any of the methods mentioned.
Just plain old apple cider vinegar and baking soda paste works very well too.
Good Luck.
Pookarina
I was also going to suggest toothpaste (not the gel type).
Go over the coin with an eraser and then cover with ketchup for a few hours, you will definitely be surprised.
This will clean the coin but doing so will take away any real value if you are considering selling it at a later time.
I agree with Deeli. Toothpaste should get it clean. I use it to clean my jewelry, also.
Even if you don't care that much about its value, toothpaste might be a little too abrasive & wear down the engraving. The best thing is Hagerty's silver polish, a dab on a soft moist cloth, then rinse in plain water. If it is silver, it will tarnish again, unless you have it coated with something that retards tarnish.
Just plain old ketchup will do the trick nicely.
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How do you clean a silver chain? I have been told that vinegar can get it clean.
