Cleaning dirty pennies

[stonewallrabbitry]

What do you do with your pennies that are to dirty to read the date? Could I soak them in vinegar or put them in a tumbler for reloading?

[TheJonasCollegeFund]

You can weigh 'em!

[adagirl]

You can weigh 'em!

That's what I do too, weight 'em

[fasteddy]

...or you could send those super cruddy pennies back into the wild...

[slickeast]

If they don't make it through the coin counter they go back with the zincs. I let the Ryedales sort out the rest.

[TheJonasCollegeFund]

I get lazy now and then and end up doing some hand sorting. So, all of the 82's get set aside to be weighed and checked over for 2 different varieties. Then when I come up on a few lincolns with the dates covered in ???? they wind up in that pile, too. I either then weigh 'em or end up throwing 'em in the Ryedale to sort. I know I shouldn't put the nasty ones in the Ryedale because sure enough, that'll be the one to jam it up! Lazy me!

[Dave]

I soak them in acetic acid(strong vinegar) with a little salt and tumble them for @ 1 hr. and they come out looking great.

[silverhedgehog]

CLR cleans them up in a few minutes and is reuseable.

[TheJonasCollegeFund]

I've got my last batch of cents found metal detecting soaking in a jug with some water and dish soap. I usually let them sit for a couple day soak before I kinda tumble them. The coppers come out just fine and the zinc ones I might have to add a little salt to clean up some of the corrosion so they make it throug the coin counter at the bank!

[TheJonasCollegeFund]

I added a little salt since this last batch of pennies I just dug yesterday and didn't have enough time to sit in the soup.

Anyway, I went and took the zinc ones....all crudy and corroded...not round anymore....looking like there is no way the machine is gonna accept them....machine took every single alful looking cent!

All the copper ones came out great just a little on the dull side....but they're copper!

[Know Common Cents]

Couple ol' timers I know swear by letting them sit in a Coca-Cola bath overnight. I always end up drinking the Coke I have on hand before getting an opportunity to try it. Generally, though, I just don't mess with those and send 'em back into circulation to be someone else's issue.

[Pachucko]

I've had mixed results with CLR and vinegar. I believe pre-soaking may be the key. I've got a batch soaking in water, a little of hand soap, and some dish soap. I got busy and they've been there about three or four days now, and there's a half inch or so of sludge in the bottom of the container.

[Number21]

Garbage can.

[galenrog]

tumbler, water, a little liquid soap, a little salt. 20 minutes to clean if really cruddy, otherwise 5 - 10 minutes.