Cleaning coins

Cleaning old coins involves removing dirt, dust, and also the oxidized layer from the surface of the coin. So the basics of grooming coins need to know not only numismatists, but also the usual hostess.

Before you begin to clean the coin, you need to determine the composition of which this coin is made. And, depending on the composition, you need to choose ways to clean coins.

Mechanical cleaning is suitable for coins made from any material. To do this, you need a soft brush, or a toothbrush. Prepare the coins in a soapy solution, and brush them. After that, wash them under clean running water, and carefully wipe. Do not hide coins for storage until you make sure that they do not have a single drop of moisture.

However, it should be remembered that with the help of such cleansing, you can get rid of only traces of dust and dirt. The traces of oxidation or corrosion can not be removed in this way. But for cleaning coins, pastes or powders are not allowed to apply, as they leave scratches on the surface.

Cleaning of gold coins

Gold coins are well preserved and do not need to be cleaned. They can simply be washed in soapy water. Instead of a brush, take a piece of soft cloth, and lightly rub it with a coin. The use of a brush is not allowed. Even a brush with the softest pile can leave microscopic scratches on the gold, but it does not appear immediately. The same applies to rough fabric, it can also damage the surface of the coin.

Sometimes on the gold coins there are black dots. It's not dirt, but extraneous particles that hit the alloy before the coin was minted. And, unfortunately, no means for cleaning coins can remove them.

Cleaning of silver coins

The method of cleaning silver coins depends on the sample of silver from which they are made.

For coins of 625 tests and above, cleaning with ammonia is suitable.

For low-grade silver, you can apply the cleaning of coins with citric acid (or natural lemon juice).

When you pour coins into a solution of ammonia or citric acid, you must periodically turn them, or even clean dirt with a brush. Hold the coins in the solution until the contamination disappears completely. Then rinse with clean water and dry.

If the pollution is not strong, then you can use the cleaning of coins with baking soda. To do this, add a little water to the soda and a slurry formed by rubbing the surface of the coin.

Cleaning Copper Coins

Most often copper coins are cleaned with a soap solution. For this, the coins are immersed in a soap solution and periodically removed and cleaned with a brush. And so until the disappearance of pollution. It should be noted that this is a very long and time-consuming process. Coins should be kept in soapy water for up to 2 weeks, and brushing is done every four days. After you have cleared the coins, you need to boil them in oil and rub them with sackcloth. This will give a special shine, and create a protective layer on the coin.

For copper coins, vinegar is also used. This is suitable for ordinary table vinegar 5-10%. The duration of immersion of a coin in an acetic solution depends on the degree of oxidation, and varies from a few minutes to several hours.

Cleaning coins made of zinc-iron alloy

To begin with, with the help of a needle, signs of rust and whitish plaque are removed from the surface of the coin. Then the coin descends into a very weak solution of hydrochloric acid. It is necessary to keep constant supervision over a coin. At the moment when the oxides and rust fuse, it will be necessary to remove the coin from the solution, and rinse underwater. Then the coin is dried and rubed to shine.