how to clean copper pennies without damaging them

If you have any other ideas, please share them in the comments below. Different types of coins require different cleaning solutions, so ask an expert if you are not sure. The method of cleaning depends on the type of coin. So at the very least you need distilled water as a working medium. A common ingredient in DIY eco-friendly cleaners, the acetic acid in white vinegar can help wear away the contamination on your coins. Salt and vinegar combinations have been used to clean coins for many yearsthis method is actually on display in one of the earlier videos I shared above. Retrieve the coins from the vinegar and apply a few teaspoons of baking soda to each coin. The safest way to clean a coin is to send it a professional. Warm distilled water can be used to clean coins. In your small container, measure in a cup of fresh lemon juice (or white vinegar) and add one tablespoon of salt to it. Its found naturally in wine, and it works by breaking down the copper oxide coating on your pennies. Anyone can use this simple technique. Abrasive cleaners, like using a brush along with an acid or alcohol-based cleaning solution, can leave minuscule hair line discrepancies on the metal that can only be seen under magnification and in the right lighting. Soak the Pennies in Vinegar. It only requires rubbing the penny with a pencil eraser. If you dont have vinegar, lemon juice should work just fine. We all enjoy the metal detecting finds we discover, and sometimes, even pennies fall into that category. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Rinse them off after soaking them in vinegar so they dont reabsorb any of that dirt onto themselves! Some other options include you can at least look into are: There are many rust removers you can use to clean your coins, and some of them can be very fast and effective, but that is just part of what you need. Exposure to air leads to the formation of copper oxide. You can always put them on other websites like Facebook market, but you may not reach the intended audience with that forum. Be patient and try not to get frustrated. It is always at the discretion of the buyer whether the minute scratches and damaged caused by cleaning is an issue. Since all alcohol is neutral (having neither acidic or alkaline charges) it will only remove ceraint oil base soils. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use Water Sometimes the simplest methods are best. 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. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. CoinsForSale.com charges a 5 percent selling fee and no listing fee. wheat pennies found can be worth a small fortune. Before you begin cleaning, sort through the coins to determine which coins need the most work. Never rub or scrub coins which have numismatic value. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Step 4 Now take out the pennies from that mixture, and wash them in water. The composition of the coin, the condition of the coin, and the year of the coin all affect its value. A great way to clean coins without doing damage to them is using a bath of salt and isopropyl alcohol. Cheap Metal Detectors Lightly rub the ketchup into the coin with a soft toothbrush, then rinse off the ketchup. This is what gives some pennies their odd bluish hue. Keep in mind that this is more of an abrasive than even the sand method and can do serious damage without the proper care. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. If you do not rinse all the vinegar off your wheat pennies, they may turn green or bluish green. There is even a high chance that you have all of them in your kitchen right now. Keep reading below for the best methods for safely cleaning your wheat pennies at home. Vinegar and salt. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. For a safer way to remove stubborn debris and make a coin shine, rub it gently with a little bit of vegetable oil. One good option is the traditional 2 by 2 cardboard and mylar protective sheaths. It may take a few treatments, so work gradually and wash the coins off each time to avoid damaging them. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Remember, you dont want to use anything that has abrasive qualities to them because they can scratch the coins. Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve. This is usually only a concern for industrial levels of exposure. This method is the best way to clean your pennies, and it will produce a very bright orangey-copper color on your pennies. Start by adding a quarter cup of white vinegar, or lemon juice, into a cup or glass. When you put your pennies in a vinegar and salt mix, the vinegar and salt react together and remove the copper oxide. Ketchup is also effective at cleaning copper jewelry, so keep this tip in mind next time you need an emergency polish job for your favorite necklace or bracelet! If needed, use a soft towel or soft-bristled brush to scrub the coin. Mix 3 parts baking soda with 1 part vinegar. You just have to put a thin but uniform layer of sauce on the penny and then rinse it off with water after some time. They will, in fact, devalue. Well, the general rule is if you intend on selling your wheat pennies, you should not clean them. When a rare coin is found, it is often submitted to professionals, such as those at PCGS, or Professional Coin Grading Services. Soak your pennies for five minutes in vinegar to dissolve any copper oxide . We hope you enjoy these tips and find the one that works best for you! You dont have to sacrifice the quality of your pennies just so you can have them looking good. For many pennies, one tablespoon (15 g) of salt in 1/2 cup (4 oz) of vinegar will get the job done. Newer coins, such as relatively shiny pennies, tend to dull a little when washed in acid. This website uses cookies to improve your experience, but you may opt out if you wish. Enjoy! Using a toothbrush or other soft-bristled brush, gently scrub the baking soda into each coin, especially on the corroded areas. Collectors actively look for the tiniest flaws in pennies and they have all the necessary tools to find those flaws. If you are keeping them or do not care if they are damaged, you can use methods like vinegar, peroxide, baking soda, mouthwash or even, dare I say, ketchup! Rinse your pennies well with water; otherwise, if any of these cleaning agents remain on the coin, the coin will turn blue-green. This service does not come with a grading protection guarantee. Put the coin in the bowl and slowly rub the coin with your finger from both sides. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Next, soak the coins in the solution for 5 minutes, making sure theyre spread out so theyre all submerged. Lemon juice is acidic and can cause damage to the skin if inhaled or spilled. Wipe down the surface of your penny with another clean cloth or paper towel until all dirt has been removed from its surface. Repeat the process as many times as you need in order to get the coins clean. For this reason, only clean coins that have little value, such as standard pennies. Mouthwash not only helps with dental health but can help you clean up dirty coins. Safely storing your wheat pennies is critical for preserving and protecting them. These were 95 percent copper and 5 percent zing. Cleaning and polishing rare and old coins can devalue them. If you dont see any results after trying a method for a few minutes, move on to something else. tb1234. Create a mixture using -cup vinegar of lemon juice and a teaspoon of table salt together into a bowl. Like vinegar, citrus juice is acidic and wears off copper oxide on coins. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. If you happen to find one of these while metal detecting, do not attempt to clean them yourself! wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. 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. If youre having trouble getting rid of the tarnish on your copper penny, rubbing alcohol might be the trick you need. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. They must all lie flat at the bottom of the container. Rubbing or scrubbing a coin (even with non-abrasive liquids) will leave microabrasions on your coin and cause a severe reduction of value or elimination of any collectible value. For preservation purposes, most collectors recommend against treating collectible coins. It may take a couple of applications, so dont be afraid to try this method a few times to get out those tough stains. Soak your penny in the vinegar for a minimum of 30 minutes. An alternative is to use vinyl erasers, but they do not contain abrasive, which is typically found in pencil erasers. What is the fastest way to clean copper coins? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". One of the most important aspects of cleaning old coins is to know the value first. At this stage, the corrosion on the pennies mustve reacted with the lemon and salt solution, so it is time for you to start removing them from the container. I hope you enjoyed this article and have learned more about how to clean wheat pennies! Pennies get dull and dirty because the copper in the pennies reacts with oxygen in the air to form copper oxide. For tips on how to shine your coins with baking soda, read on! The first step to cleaning a copper penny is soaking it in vinegar. Keep in mind that adding more salt to the solution makes it stronger. Hot sauce and brown colas are some other household substances that work well on copper coins. 2. With this simple technique, anyone can get their penny as clean as it once was. Distilled water is highly recommended as tap water since it contains chlorine that works perfectly in removing the unwanted substances. Dip one penny halfway into the liquid. Pennies have been around since the late 1700s in the United States. Metal Detector Reviews (for anyone), Garrett AT Pro Review As you will come to find out, there are different methods for cleaning different types of coins. Instead, dip a soft-bristled toothbrush into the vinegar solution and scrub the coins with it. You can use lemon juice to clean copper pennies, but youll want to work in a well-ventilated area when you do. Place your pennies at the bottom of the cup or glass so that they are not stacked on top of each other. Rinse and dry: After scrubbing, rinse in warm water and dry the copper with a lint-free dishtowel. Use your soft cloth to dry them off gently in order to prevent any scratching. Its important to note that cleaning tarnish off valuable or rare coins can greatly affect their value. It might even be a good idea to stay away from even hiring a professional service to clean them for you. With wheat pennies, you will want to fill a small dish with fresh water and some dish soap. Dish soap is another good cleaning method and is very gentle. Very old or dirty coins require the extra effort. In many cases, cleaning a coin can lower the value of the coin as a collectors item. For coins that dont have collectible value, you can use sand, olive oil, and even isopropyl alcohol to get the job done. And if you're unsure of how to properly clean a coin and you want a second opinion, get in contact with a coin expert before trying any of the following methods. Mix in extra salt if you wish, but keep a close eye on the coins to avoid damaging them. This could mean going into tight corners with cotton swabs dipped in diluted vinegar solution or water; however, if there are no crevices left untouched by this step then this is generally enough for most coins because they wont have been exposed much during wear-and-tear over time anyway (if at all). Mix your hand soap in with the water, creating a soapy mixture. You can also try using a damp cloth with baking soda, which will help loosen any stuck-on dirt without damaging the coins surface. Fisher F22 Review Many professional coin collectors and coin valuers recommend leaving the coins as they are. With this simple technique, anyone can get their penny as clean as it once was. After learning about how to clean a copper penny in this article, you should be able to do it well and keep your coin looking better for longer. If you are in a humid location, you can use desiccants to absorb atmospheric moisture. Gold Nuggets Metal Detectors If it doesnt work for you, or somehow has hurt or damaged the penny in your eyes, stop using this method and find one you feel is a bit better. 1/4 cup white vinegar 1 teaspoon salt A clear, shallow bowl (not metal) 2 clean steel nails A clean steel screw or bolt Paper towels Put the salt and vinegar in the bowl. Clean them off using distilled water and soap, using an old toothbrush to scour them clean. 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. ", "It is so amazing, the power of baking soda and vinegar.". This happens because the vinegar and salt dissolves the copper oxide layer of the penny. In this article well take a look at the top 10 tips for cleaning a copper penny. This fact makes it all the more important for you to know how to clean corroded pennies, especially if youve found a few wheat pennies from metal detecting. It works similarly to ketchup. Follow these steps to make your pennies completely clean: Step 1 Pour a small quantity of vinegar into a bowl. So how do you safely store your wheat pennies? Scrub low-value coins with baking soda and vinegar, lemon juice and salt, or ketchup to break apart tarnish. Let them air dry the rest of the way. Mix your hand soap in with the water, creating a soapy mixture. It does this by using the low levels of acids that are contained naturally in vinegar and lemon juice to remove the patina (brown oxidation) on the penny. They include: As you can see, these materials are very cheap and easy to find anywhere. He has a hefty collection of wheat pennies that hes found with various techniques. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. 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. Aside from white vinegar, there may not be a more versatile household cleaning agent than baking soda. Cool the copper: Leave the copper item in the solution until it is cool to the touch. Soak your coins in a glass or other non-corrosive container for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight, and then wipe with a clean cloth or scrub gently with an old toothbrush. Apmex is a well-known auction site for coins. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e9\/Clean-Copper-Coins-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Clean-Copper-Coins-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e9\/Clean-Copper-Coins-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid5915095-v4-728px-Clean-Copper-Coins-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"