best way to clean junk

[kwebb70]

What's the best method for cleaning junk silver?

[Country]

I wouldn't clean them... Would you buy rolls of junk on RealCent if the seller said the coins were freshly cleaned?

[dakota1955]

if you don't like dirty junk silver just sell it here and then buy clean junk silver

[68Camaro]

I wouldn't clean them... Would you buy rolls of junk on RealCent if the seller said the coins were freshly cleaned?

Absolutely. If they are common date, bullion coin - especially 64s of anything, I could care less whether they are cleaned - at least if they've been done with respectable care and not with a wire brush or some such nonsense. For these types of coin I go by weight, not level of tarnish, and bright coin presents better.

To be concerned about cleaning bullion coin is IMHO ridculous. Just my opinion, but one I feel strongly about. Anyone that has cleaned coin they can't sell elsewhere to someone that is "picky", feel free to PM me. It'll save me the effort.

That said, I don't clean coin older than 64. If it did it would be by exception. At this point I've only cleaned 64, or newer 40% that isn't a key date.

[68Camaro]

What's the best method for cleaning junk silver?

For bullion non-numi stuff only

I use the electrolytic method for 64 90%, and now normally tarn-x for later 40% which tends to be more heavily tarnished. Having this done once in their life won't hurt them.

[John Reich]

i had some heavily tarnished Mercury dimes and I used the hot water/aluminum foil/salt-baking soda method to clean them. The cleaning took the black tarnish off, but left the coins with a weird, "glossy" appearance. They looked like shellac had been applied to them. Has anyone else experienced this? These weren't numismatic coins--just some "junk" I wanted to experiment with.

[Engineer]

i had some heavily tarnished Mercury dimes and I used the hot water/aluminum foil/salt-baking soda method to clean them. The cleaning took the black tarnish off, but left the coins with a weird, "glossy" appearance. They looked like shellac had been applied to them. Has anyone else experienced this? These weren't numismatic coins--just some "junk" I wanted to experiment with.

It's normal for the worn areas to come out looking polished.

[tedandcam]

At this point I've only cleaned 64, or newer 40% that isn't a key date.

What 40% key dates are there? I wasn't aware of any key date 40%.

Edit: somehow it looks like Country made this statement. But, it was 68Camaro that did.

[68Camaro]

70 is the key date.

[amalekidad]

The best way to clean junk is to send it to Scrap Man. They come back real shinny and purdy!