Coin Cleaning

[Fresh]

Hey fellas,
I'm closer to finish my coin collection so I've began cleaning them all up to have them displayed, sadly it seems that some of them have some sort of stains or something. I was wondering if any of you have some sort of trickery to get them all cleaned up. I already did the vinegar/salt trick with the Penny coin, but there is still some residue left. I washed all the other coins with hand soap and warm water but the stains are still there (see Mars and XX coin). Any ideas on how to remove the stains? Will the vinegar trick work with the other coins? Any ideas are greatly appreciated.
Thanks again Obros!

 

[dingo ate my baby]

Mr wizard aka @kronin323 may know, he had good results polishing his display case

 

[kronin323]

My testing was on an aluminum "x-metal" display case, which showed Sheila Shine was the best and easiest general purpose cleaner / polish and Mother's was a bit more effective but would polish beyond the original finish to more shiny. Neither removed 100% of all stains and I cannot say how they'll work on coins, haven't tried them on those.

IIRC the copper on the penny coin is just a thin plating and you have to be careful not to wear through it. Mother's is not recommended for plated items.

Personally I think a little patina with age gives them more character, anyway.

 

[Fresh]

My testing was on an aluminum "x-metal" display case, which showed Sheila Shine was the best and easiest general purpose cleaner / polish and Mother's was a bit more effective but would polish beyond the original finish to more shiny. Neither removed 100% of all stains and I cannot say how they'll work on coins, haven't tried them on those.

IIRC the copper on the penny coin is just a thin plating and you have to be careful not to wear through it. Mother's is not recommended for plated items.

Personally I think a little patina with age gives them more character, anyway.

I just want to clean them and try to remove the most stains as possible, I don't want to polish the hell of them (although I've seen some and the look amazing). I'll go and get the Sheila Shine and see how it goes, do you recommed any prep before the Sheila?
Thanks Kro!

 

[kronin323]

I just want to clean them and try to remove the most stains as possible, I don't want to polish the hell of them (although I've seen some and the look amazing). I'll go and get the Sheila Shine and see how it goes, do you recommed any prep before the Sheila?
Thanks Kro!

No, no real prep, just apply then wipe off. The spray version is easier to apply but more expensive per unit than the pour-out-of-a-can version. But again I haven't used this stuff on coins so I cannot say how effective it'll be, only that it worked well on aluminum cases.

 

[Fresh]

I'll go to my local autozone and see which version they have. I'll post the results (if they're good) so everyone can see hiw the coins end up looking.
I'm guessing the Shine should work on the old style coins, but what about the new ones? Each time I clean one I feel like I'm going to rip the finish off them

 

[kronin323]

I don't believe it'll hurt the darker finish on the new ones but again I've never tried it on them. Do a test first.

 

[Oakley-Dokley]

What is the vinegar salt trick? I just bought a pair of Pennys in box with coin but the coin looks super dingy, stained, and ugly. Anyone try mothers on the Pennys coin?

 

[ZCForge]

What is the vinegar salt trick? I just bought a pair of Pennys in box with coin but the coin looks super dingy, stained, and ugly. Anyone try mothers on the Pennys coin?

View attachment 572988

Depends if it’s actually copper or plated with a non copper finish. Anyone know for sure? I never gave it a thought to be honest

 

[Fresh]

What is the vinegar salt trick? I just bought a pair of Pennys in box with coin but the coin looks super dingy, stained, and ugly. Anyone try mothers on the Pennys coin?

View attachment 572988

Get a plastic bag anf fill 1/4 of it with white vinegar. Add some table salt (I used about half a scoop) and shake it to mix. Then just drop the coin in there and be sure it is totally covered by the liquid. Let it rest for 2-3 minutes and the coin will come out super shinny
Just take into account the black stains might not come off, you’ll probably need to scrub those off with soap and water