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Hey guys. Weird coin I found tonight. It's a 1933 which has a lot of crud all over it. The only part that looks like it was scraped off (not by me) was the date and it is in fact 1933. The caked on stuff feels like the consistency of dried dirt. I know the first rule of cleaning a coin is don't but... Anyone have any suggestions? It's no overly valuable but would fill a hole in my book : D

let it soak in water and dish soap over night. That should loosen the dirt and you may be able just to wash it off after that.

Thanks, I will give it a go.

Would a Q-tip be too abrasive to remove the gunk?

Soak it in vinegar overnight.

Dave wrote:Soak it in vinegar overnight.

I let a penny soak overnight in vinagar and it destroyed the coin,stick with soap and hot water,maybe try soaking it in boiling water

jasmatk wrote:

Dave wrote:Soak it in vinegar overnight.

I let a penny soak overnight in vinagar and it destroyed the coin,stick with soap and hot water,maybe try soaking it in boiling water

+1
I soaked some green ones in vinagar and it cleaned the green but they came out a pinkish color. Definetly not for coins that may have some numi value. It worked fine to clean the green from Cu cents.

mutiger

I'd try good old soapy water soak first.
Put it in a shot glass of Vodka and wipe with a soft cotton cloth after an overnight soak is a good cleaning method, too.

WD-40 might help but you'll lose some patina(=value).

Vinegar, Coke and Drain Cleaner will work really well.
Of course you will ruin the coin this way, it will be an ugly pink color but you'll see every (any?) detail it has left and it will lose all numismatic value.

so soap and hot water is basically the only way to clean and keep numi value?

That looks like a dug penny.. I have lots of them.. If someone wants to experiment and post the results, Ill send you a dozen...

Start with the least destructive method. Soak it in room temp water (NON-clorinated ). As it sits now, it has no numi value, but going straight to the vinegar will guarantee no numi valu.

Verbane wrote:Start with the least destructive method. Soak it in room temp water (NON-clorinated ). As it sits now, it has no numi value, but going straight to the vinegar will guarantee no numi valu.

+1 Definately start with the least destructive method first.

I would go with the shotglass of vodka. after the third one, it will look VERY pretty!

penny pretty wrote:I would go with the shotglass of vodka. after the third one, it will look VERY pretty!

Good one!

How did this penny turn out and how did you finally clean it? Pic please.
Thanks,

I first boiled about an ounce of water and then poured into a jar with some dishsoap in it. Shook it up and placed penny inside for about 36 hours. Came out with no difference : ( I scrubbed harder at it with q tips and cotton balls and got it into this condition. Note that this probably could have been done without a soaking so I would not endorse water soaking method for this type of crud...

After some vigorous scrubbing.


What really intrigued me is a lot of the details are in stunning condition for being buried in crud for so long, and perhaps that has what's kept it looking so good.

Next course of action?

Thanks

Rubbing alcohol?

As long as it won't destroy the coin. Soak it in alcohol or rub with it?

At this point, the coin is altered and considered to be worth its weight in copper. Do whatever you would like to the coin as it will not change its value. Sorry for the bad news, but that's where you are with it.

If you wanted to remove hard surface debris, there are ways to do so without damaging the surface of the coin... scientifically, there is something called rockwell hardness which is good to know. Rose thorns are nature's gift to coin collectors.

Whoa damaged surface? I scrubbed it with cotton. How is this possible?

motos wrote:Whoa damaged surface? I scrubbed it with cotton. How is this possible?

Next time that you get a fresh coin from the bank or whatever, take a Q-tip to it and then look at it under magnification. You'll see.

Oh. I thought you meant the literal surface of the coin was damaged like chemically. I was not worried as you mentioned about the potential micro marring of the metal. The fact was the details of this coin couldn't even be seen as it was so no one would pay extra money for it anyway. This was just going to be filling a spot in my book : D

motos wrote:As long as it won't destroy the coin. Soak it in alcohol or rub with it?

You just need to find the right solvent to get rid of the clay without eating into the patina of the coin.

Soak it. Heat will speed things up, but it will also evaporate the alcohol. If you're willing to risk a small *explosion in the name of science, you can put some alcohol in a mason jar with the coin, seal it up, and then simmer it in a pan of water. To be safe it would be a good idea to do it inside of a stock pot with a lid to catch any glass if the jar explodes.

Boiling the penny in regular water might do the trick too.

*I've been banned from the kitchen many times.