Coin cleaning - quick and easy

Cleaning coins is sometimes an absolutely unnecessary action, because in certain cases uncleaned numismatic items are much more valuable. Contaminants that are very rarely cleaned are called patina. This is the usual oxidation of the surfaces of the metal from which the item is made. As a rule, it means that the subject has a very long and interesting life. All this applies to the natural patina, which evenly covers the entire product. If the patina covers only part of it with ugly spots, then cleaning the coins is necessary to give a beautiful look to the product.

Important! Many masters specially cover such objects with artificial patina. Thus, trying to give her a more noble and old look.

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Coin Materials

If grease and dirt are present on metal money, they should be cleaned unambiguously. Cleaning of coins depends on the degree of pollution and on the material of the product.

Coins can be made of the following metals:

• Gold.
• Silver.
• Platinum.
• Copper.
• Aluminum.
• Nickel.
• Iron.
• Tin.
• Manganese.
• Chromium.
• Zinc.

Important! Cleaning money from metal can be done in many ways. Some of them are universal, that is, they are suitable for various alloys. But there are those tools that can only be used on certain metals. Be careful when choosing a tool, so as not to spoil the money, especially if they have value as an antiquity.

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Coin cleaning. Universal methods

Do not rush to clean numismatic objects with aggressive solutions. Regardless of the material of the product, simple universal methods can help you. They are especially good in cases where you doubt the metal of which the coin is made, and do not know exactly what tool can be used to clean it. Soap will not be able to spoil any metal, in addition, this tool can be used in different ways.

Cleaning in soapy water:

1. Prepare a soap solution from water and baby soap.
2. Place a product that requires cleaning for a while.
3. After that, rinse the coin under running water and rub the spots with a toothpick or brush.

Important! Do not overdo it with mechanical cleaning, so as not to leave visible scratches on the product.

If this method does not clean the product the first time, repeat it several more times.

Cleaning in soapy porridge:

1. Make pulp from the soap. To do this, grate household or baby soap on a grater and add a small amount of water to it.
2. Place the object to be cleaned for a long time in a soapy mixture. Sometimes, to get a good result, the product should lie in a similar solution for several weeks.
3. After taking out the product, gently brush it with a toothbrush and rinse with running water.

Cleaning with Leuchtturm special fluids

The Leuchtturm brand produces liquids for various metals. The composition of the product does not have aggressive chemical components, so it will not be possible to clean up serious stubborn dirt, but the risk of spoiling a valuable item is minimal.

Cleaning coins with this tool is more than simple:

1. Immerse the product in the solution for approximately 15 minutes.
2. Rinse it with running water.

Organic solvent cleaning

If a metal object is contaminated with fat, you can try to clean it with organic solvents. The most popular remedies are acetone and white spirit. After their use, the product should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.

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Cleaning coins from precious metals

Cash items made of platinum and gold are quite expensive. Therefore, it is better to immediately contact specialists and entrust the jewelers to clean such products. They will do it carefully without damaging the appearance of the product. Silver coins are not so finicky, they can be cleaned at home.

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Cleaning silver coins

Cleaning silver coins at home can be done in several ways.

Cleaning coins with ammonia:

1. Place the silver item in ammonia solution so that the liquid completely covers the item.

Important! In no case should you remove a metal object from alcohol during the cleaning process. Abrupt changes in the environment of the product may result in external damage..

2. Let the silver item be in the ammonia for at least twenty minutes. During this time, flip the coin several times without removing it from the liquid.
3. At the end of time, start pouring water into the solution. The product can be obtained when there is much more water in the tank than alcohol.

How to clear a silver coin with citric acid:

1. Prepare a coin cleaning solution from a glass of water and two tablespoons of citric acid.
2. Place the product in the solution for a short time, approximately 3-4 minutes.

Important! This method requires skill and experience, as overexposure in such a metal solution can lead to the exact opposite result. For this reason, many numismatists prefer to use freshly squeezed lemon juice, since it is a less aggressive substance.

3. Take out a coin and brush it with a toothbrush.

Important! Do not use metal containers when cleaning with citric acid. This method is suitable for cleaning not only silver coins, but also other products from this metal.

Cleaning silver coins with soda

Soda perfectly removes green oxidized stains. This cleaning method is most often used for processing products from base silver. Since soda is an abrasive, objects that are of great value should not be cleaned.

In general, cleaning silver coins with this tool looks like this:

1. Make a slurry of water and soda, put a coin in it.
2. Lightly rub the baking soda into the surface of the cleaning item until the metal shines again.

Important! Soda can be replaced with tooth powder, but this tool should be cleaned very carefully.

How to clear a silver coin at home with vinegar?

In this way, silver of low grade is usually cleaned. To do this, you will need the usual table 9% vinegar, which is used as follows:

1. Place a coin in the cleaner for 5-15 minutes. The residence time of the product in the liquid is determined by the degree of contamination.
2. After the required time, the silver item is wiped with a rag of suede.

Important! Some numismatists heat vinegar before cleaning in this way for a more effective cleaning.

Cleaning coins with salt:

1. Take a small piece of foil and cook on it a slurry of salt and water. The proportions for such a paste involve 1 part of fine salt and 2 parts of water.
2. Place the silver cleaning object on the slurry and wrap all parts of the foil.
3. Leave the product in foil for 6-8 hours.

Important! Using this cleaning method, you can’t rub and press a coin, otherwise, mechanical damage in the form of scratches may appear.

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Cleaning coins from copper

Copper is one of the most interesting metals, and coins from it look especially expensive and original. To clean the coins from this alloy correctly, use the following methods and tools.

Industrial facilities:

• Non-ferrous precious metals are excellently cleaned with the “Cilit” household rust cleaner. Before applying the product to the product, shake the bottle well so that all components are mixed. Leave the mass on the product for fifteen minutes. After that, wipe the coin with a rag and rinse it with running water.
• Cleaning with Trilon-B will effectively remove even patina and oxides from copper coins. This substance is a disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, designed to dissolve most of the insoluble metal salts.

Electrolysis

This method is suitable for products that do not have severe damage. Otherwise, all the flaws of the coin will be clearly manifested on its surface.

Important! When cleaning with this method, you should definitely take care of your own safety. Wear safety glasses and gloves. Make sure the room is well ventilated.

Proceed as follows:

1. The cleaning object is attached to the cathode of a DC source with a voltage of 6-12 volts.
2. A graphite element or object of the same material as the coin itself is attached to the anode.
3. The cathode and anode are immersed in an electrolyte, which is located in a shallow plastic vessel, and current is supplied to them.

Important! As an electrolyte, a solution of 2 tablespoons of soda or salt and 1 liter of water can be used. The cleaning process can take from several minutes to 4 hours. The time frame depends on the size of the item being cleaned, its condition and the power of the current source.

Soda cleaning:

1. Prepare a concentrated solution of 3-5 tablespoons of soda and half a liter of water. The liquid should cover the product 2 cm.
2. Put the dish with the mortar and coin on the fire.
3. Boil the contents for half an hour.
4. After cooking, the product should be cleaned with soda gruel using an old toothbrush.

Digestion in oil

1. To do this, use olive, vegetable, and even more often - liquid paraffin: Numismatic objects are placed in a bowl with oil and put on fire.
2. The oil is brought to a boil, after which the dirt and deposits from copper coins are simply cleaned with a brush.

Important! Keep hot oil away from clothing and skin, as this can cause a serious burn.

Ammonia

Cleaning copper coins with ammonia is also quite effective. It is produced in a similar way with the cleaning of silver products. Due to the specific smell of the liquid, this method is not suitable for everyone.

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Nickel coin cleaning

Most often, items made of this metal do not require cleaning. Nickel reacts poorly to various reagents contained in the environment, so it remains unchanged. But since coins made of pure nickel without any impurities are very rare, some of them still require cleaning.

Important! Most often, in the manufacture of coins from nickel, copper is added to it. Therefore, all methods of cleaning copper coins are suitable for such products.

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Cleaning bronze coins

Products made of bronze are cleaned in the same way as copper. Gloss of metal is easily restored with toothpaste and warm water. After cleaning in any way, bronze coins should be thoroughly dried with a soft cloth or paper towel.

Important! Liquid ammonia changes the color of bronze to brown or black. Therefore, it must be used only in case of urgent need.

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Coins of the USSR

To choose the right method of cleaning numismatic products, you should decide on the metal from which they are made.

Important! For a short time in the Soviet Union they were made of gold, then until 1931 silver coins were made, after which they began to produce coins from copper. In 1925, money items began to be minted from alloys, since their last copper version was quite heavy.

Over the next 30 years, cash products were produced from an alloy of copper with aluminum. For four years, from 1931 to 1935, copper-nickel coins were the main ones, later copper began to interfere with zinc. Methods for cleaning coins from silver, copper and nickel have already been discussed above. To give shine to aluminum and zinc products, the following recommendations should be followed:

• Aluminum does not like various chemicals, so coins from this metal can only be cleaned mechanically. To do this, a toothbrush, cloth, or felt are suitable. After cleaning, rinse the product with cold running water.
• Coins containing zinc can be cleaned with highly dilute hydrochloric acid. Dip the product into it for a short time, and then clean it with brass wire. After these procedures, wipe the item dry with a thick cloth and complete the cleaning process by washing it in soapy water.

Commemorative coins

Since 1965, Soviet commemorative coins began to be issued. The first of them was minted in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. This tradition has survived to the present day. Mostly metal money was made in denominations of 10 rubles.

Such products are perfectly cleaned by the following means:

• A solution of Fairy or other household detergent for washing dishes with water.
• Industrial cleaner for home ovens.
• Soapy solution.
• Ammonia.

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Stock footage

Numismatics is a truly fascinating hobby. Keeping old coins, you keep a piece of history, a memory of the country and traditions of that time. By properly caring for such products, you will significantly extend their life. There are no ways to clean old coins that would completely remove impurities and return objects to their original appearance. But to improve the condition of coins under the power of everyone. The main rule in this case is not to spoil the product completely.