How to clean silver and copper coins. Cleaning silver coins at home

With the era of development of the capabilities of metal detectors, treasure hunting is experiencing another boom. On the one hand, this led to the recovery of a fairly large number of coins that were previously considered exceptional rarities. Now even 2 kopecks from 1925 or 1927 are put up for auction often enough that, if you have the means, you can purchase them for your collection. On the other hand, there are still few copies of worthy preservation, because almost a century of being in the ground leaves indelible marks on the coin. How to turn a circle of black metal with a cherished date into something resembling a coin that will be competed for at auctions? This question brings the new owner of the rarity to the cleaning process. Those who have acquired a collection that was stored improperly have to deal with the same processes.

Stage 0 - preview

Let's say it very loudly and clearly: any cleaning will not turn its object into a UNC condition coin. Even if there are no cavities or nicks on the coin, and the coin field begins to sparkle, the experienced eye of a collector or dealer will instantly distinguish it from the original shine inherent in specimens that have just left the territory of the mint. The price of a cleaned coin is much lower than the cost of its sister, found in the “Uncirculated” category. That's why comments are so common on forums: “You just cleared half the value of the coin.” A beautiful patina for old coins is much preferable to an unnatural shine after diligent cleaning.

If you have an expensive item in your hands, you should not start cleaning it without sufficient experience. It is better to pay ten thousand to a specialist and get a coin that can start at one hundred thousand, than to find a twisted piece of metal that even a beginner would not want to add to the collection. Having two coins minted from the same metal - a rare one and an ordinary one - it is worth trying the cleaning method first on an ordinary coin and making sure that cleaning did not kill the coin or cause significant harm to it.

At this stage, we take and put aside all the coins of the “PROOF” design and with a polished coin field. These coins cannot be cleaned. Any impact is detrimental to them. Study the auction aisles (you can use the database on our website), and you will see how the smallest defect significantly reduces the price and forces most sellers to refuse to purchase a copy of less than perfect condition. If it seems to you that removing a small dark spot is easy and simple, then remember the parable of the monkey carrying peas and dropping the pea. Trying to pick it up, she dropped ten more. In an attempt to collect them, she scattered another hundred. Defects on a polished coin will grow in the same progression with the simplest cleaning. Yes, polished coins are cleaned by professionals, but that process is no longer closer to cleaning, but to restoration (which we won’t touch on here).

If you still can’t wait to deal with polished coins, please read the article on our website “How to launder money”, dedicated to the gentle cleaning of silver in the “PROOF” category.

Stage 1 - soap solution and rinsing

To remove dried dirt, place the coins to be cleaned in a soap solution. This will soften any hard foreign matter on the coin. After some time, they will either peel off on their own, or they will be easy to remove without damaging the coin field (which would not happen if we tried to pick out a dried-on hard lump). Coins from the last century are generally resistant to water, so being in a soapy solution will not harm them. Of course, you should not keep coins made of iron or other materials in water that quickly rust in water. If you want to test it not in word, but in deed, pour a handful of modern ten-kopeck coins with a steel base into the water. A long stay in water will damage them hopelessly. But a brass coin can remain in the water element for quite a long time.

After being removed from the solution, the coin needs to be washed. Experts do not recommend using running tap water. Due to the chloride compounds in its composition, after drying you may find a light coating on some coins, which negatively affects the overall impression of the coin. Therefore, get either distilled water or still bottled water from the nearest store. Of course, if we gain experience in cleaning brass or nickel recent years USSR, then we exclude unnecessary expenses, and tap water is quite suitable for them. Inexpensive coins can be cleaned in parallel with washing using a soft toothbrush with a non-abrasive toothpaste. This method removes softened dirt from hard-to-reach places.

Washing with distilled water and soap is suitable even for PROOF coins if you have dropped these valuable pieces in the dirt. Of course, a toothbrush is strictly excluded here. After washing, drying is necessary. Drops of water are removed with a soft cloth or napkin. Moreover, this is not wiping, but blotting coins. That is, you are only touching the surface, and not crawling along it in all directions. After blotting, you need to dry the coin near a heat source (for example, an incandescent lamp). This does not mean that, to save time, you should bring the coin into the area of ​​​​the highest temperatures, placing it on the heater grill. From high temperatures valuable coin may simply crack or melt.

Stage 2 - chemistry: from cheap to expensive

A copy before cleaning

Plans and dreams of a collector * * * * * Harsh reality at the end of the process

It’s worth gaining experience on the cheapest copies, which you wouldn’t mind throwing away later. At this stage, many illusions are shattered. It seems that after cleaning the coin will simply change color from black or green to its original color and will begin to resemble the specimens resting in museum cases. The result, most often, is something else: a disgusting-looking corroded coin field and a crumpled relief beyond recognition. And all because patina is not a coating from the outside, but part of the coin itself. It smooths out unevenness and hides imperfections. By removing it, you will expose all hidden defects. Sometimes dry cleaning removes almost the entire relief, which has faded into patina over time, and what we see is no longer a coin, but a strange circle on which we can’t make out either numbers or inscriptions.

Have you decided to cleanse? Be sure to determine what metal the coin was minted from. A product that is ideal for one metal will irrevocably destroy others, if you do not take into account the composition of the ingredients included in it. The most difficult coins to clean are those made of tin or lead. These are very soft metals. Both abrasive cleaning, which erases the relief, and most chemicals are contraindicated for them. But aluminum coins are easy to clean. The film that forms on them quickly replaces the original shine with unsightly turbidity. But it can be easily removed with a simple composition (experts recommend 50 grams of borax, 5 grams of ammonia per 1 liter of water). After such cleaning, the aluminum is not washed, but dried immediately.

Aluminum bronze and brass are easy to clean with modern kitchen chemicals. However, it should be remembered that chemistry washes away copper, and the color of a golden brass coin becomes pink or scarlet (newbies, seeing such a specimen, immediately drag it to numismatists under the guise of a rare copper sample). Therefore, using experiments on cheap coins, compose your chemical series according to the degree of impact on the coin. Initially, try to correct the situation with a weaker composition and only then move on to stronger reagents.

Copper, after losing its patina, acquires a sharp reddish tint. Therefore, when working with copper, you must either accept the coin as is, or move on to the next stage of the collector’s basic skills - independently applying patina, which returns the coin to its usual chocolate color.

Stage 3 - Family Silver

Cleaning tarnished silver does not require any additional skills. But remember that silver in "PROOF" condition should not be cleaned in the same way as tablespoons or teaspoons left over from previous generations. Otherwise, the coin will be sold not at the catalog price, but at the price of the metal on the exchange. Those working with ancient coins, which contain other metals in addition to pure silver, have to deal with the removal of oxides. If it is copper, then the coin may turn green. Here the recommendations of experts diverge, based on their own experience. Some people use a five percent composition of sulfuric acid, while others use a ten percent composition of formic acid, heating it to seventy degrees Celsius. It is much worse if the coin has acquired a purple-gray tint. This is the so-called "horn silver". You should get rid of it only if you are completely sure that there is definitely a core of healthy metal underneath. A ten percent ammonia solution will help us here. After the gray-violet layer has softened, it is removed with a soft cloth.

Stage 4 - gold, platinum and palladium

If the material of the coin belongs to this trinity of chemically inert metals, then the task is both simple and difficult. Chemistry won't help here. Of course, with due diligence, you can get a reagent that will dissolve them, but it is better to do without it. Soap solution and rinse in water without chlorine. This is quite enough. Some people try to polish the coin before selling it. But the unnatural shine, coupled with natural scratches, is more likely to scare away potential buyers than to increase their number.

Stage 5 - specialized fluids

A number of reputable companies have long been taking care of collectors, offering them a large assortment of cleaning products that can significantly improve appearance coins. In addition, there are products from small enterprises on the domestic market that also have a positive effect on appearance. When purchasing this or that product, you should carefully read what specific metal (or group of coins) it is intended for. Calculate the economic effect of its use. After all, having purchased an expensive imported product and spent it on bringing a couple of coins into a tolerable form, which can easily be bought for fifty at any auction, you will not receive anything other than moral satisfaction. Having tried a number of products, you will also notice that cleaning them sometimes does not rid coins of the resulting defects, but only masks them for the time being. As an example, we show a bimetallic ten.

Yes, after cleaning, dark stains no longer disturb the eyes of a potential buyer. However, a discerning collector may point out that these scams have not gone away. They are still present on the ring rim, although in a lightened state. This is further evidence that cleaning does not transfer coins to the “UNC” category, which is what price tags for modern anniversary coins are based on.

In the following articles we will tell you in detail how to bring an inexpensive coin into decent condition at home using the simplest cleaning. You will also learn about mechanical cleaning, as well as why scrapers are needed. In the meantime, we hope that this short review will give you an initial understanding of cleaning coins and will protect you from inept actions with which you will spoil the rarity that you accidentally received.

After the first trips with a metal detector, the first coins begin to accumulate. After being in the ground for a long time, they need cleaning. Today we will look at one of the proven and perhaps one of the most gentle methods of cleaning silver. Cleaning silver coins from the pantry greens will no longer be a problem for you.

This cleaning method is very simple and at the same time effective, and everything we need can be bought at any grocery store.

For cleaning we need:

• citric acid (regular food grade, also known as food additive E330-E333)
• cotton pads
• cotton buds
• distilled water (you can also use regular water)
• bath (you can use a nylon lid for jars)
• plastic tweezers (if possible)
• electronic scales (if possible)

If you already have the required set of “ingredients”, you can start cleaning the coins.

Cleaning silver coins. Step 1.

We begin preparing the cleaning solution by weighing out the citric acid from the bag you bought in the store. We recommend using a solution in a proportion of 5-10 grams of acid per 100 ml of water. It is better to dilute the acid in warm or hot water, so the reaction will proceed faster. You can also keep the solution warm on a radiator all the time or if you have an unnecessary electric stove and heat-resistant laboratory glassware.

After weighing citric acid on a scale, pour the required 5..6..7..8..9 or 10 grams into hot water. The solution is ready.

Dip a coin into the prepared hot solution for cleaning. You can dip a coin even with a coating of clay, because the acid will clean off the coating too. At this stage, it is good to have plastic tweezers on hand; they are convenient for turning over or removing the coin from the solution.

After immersion, air bubbles will begin to form on the surface of the coin - the reaction has begun. Dirt deposits and light greens will be the first to separate from the coin. After a few minutes, you can take out the coin and see how the process goes. With a cotton swab dipped in the solution, you can try to remove dirt and light greenery from the field of a silver coin.

The coin on the left has already been in solution, but the coin on the right has not yet. As you can see in the photo, the coin has both green growths and clay stains. We do not recommend cleaning such stains with a toothbrush. Yes, and we advise you to reduce any mechanical cleaning to zero if you do not have experience. It is very easy to damage a silver coin; you can also simply rub or scratch the field of the coin, which can reduce the selling price in the future.

If the coin is valuable, we advise you not to leave the reaction unattended and start cleaning with a 5% citric acid solution. This advice also applies to coins that simply have tarnish or clay stains. For example, such as on Orth.

Step 2. Cotton pads for cleaning coins.

In the list of necessary items, we indicated cotton pads, now it’s time to tell you what they are needed for. After the coin is removed from the solution, and large green growths remain on it, we need two cotton pads. The diameter of the discs allows them to be used even on thalers.

We take a bath, preferably a small one; we use a regular nylon lid for jars. Place a cotton pad as the first layer, then a coin, and cover the coin with another cotton pad. The discs can be pre-soaked or then simply poured with the prepared citric acid solution; they should be well soaked.

You can leave the coin in this form for several hours, keeping an eye on it from time to time and turning over the discs themselves. If the room is warm, you will need to add more solution when the cotton wool dries.

After some time, lifting the upper cotton pad, you will see that a coin mark has formed on it. Green oxides and dirt simply transfer from the field of the coin into the cotton pad. Cleaning actually happens on your own; you only need to change the disks as they become dirty.

If the coin area is small and the quantity is large, you can place two, three or four coins on the disk at once.

Cleaning silver coins. Step 3.

If there are coins on the field for a long time green growths remain, you can change the solution from time to time or warm it up. This way the reaction will happen faster.

After you are satisfied with the result of cleaning, you need to wash the coin with soap and water to remove any remaining citric acid from the coin’s field.

We recommend this method for cleaning coins that can retain their stamp shine. We returned to this cleaning method after trying a special solution for cleaning silver coins. Its effect did not suit us, because the coin darkened and turned gray, and we had to clean it to a silver shine with soda (soda slurry).

Cleaning silver coins at home

Here is the result of cleaning a coin using this method. The coin was cleaned for about a day with a change of cotton pads and one change of a 7% citric acid solution (7 grams per 100 ml of water). In this way, it was possible not to damage the original stamp shine of the coin, which was preserved after three and a half centuries in the ground.

In this form, it fell into the ground in the distant and turbulent Middle Ages.

IMPORTANT! We hope our article will be useful to you and will help you clean many excellent silver coins. In turn, we do not insist that this method is the best and do not bear any responsibility for damaged coins when cleaning with citric acid. This article describes only our method and our experience, and the result may differ from any other.

You can always read about finds of coins and treasures in the section of our website.

Cleaning silver, and specifically coins and jewelry, is not that difficult. There are several good ways. The most suitable method for cleaning silver coins is cleaning with ordinary soda. To begin, place the coin in a weak solution of acetic or citric acid for 15-20 minutes, then add water to a spoon with soda and make a paste. Use your fingers to rub this paste over the coin until all the dirt comes off. After this, the silver begins to shine pleasantly. Just be sure to keep in mind that this method of cleaning will definitely leave micro scratches on the coin. If the coin is relatively rare, then it is better not to use this method.

If the coin has bright green spots, you can use a weak solution of sulfuric acid to clean it. Place the coin in a porcelain cup and fill with the solution. Then remove the coins several times and clean the dirt with soft brushes and rinse in running water. The cleaning process can be accelerated if the acid solution is heated. Attention! - use rubber gloves.

A weak solution of citric acid is well suited for cleaning silver items. Place a coin or jewelry in this solution and turn the items over from time to time. When the dirt begins to peel off, wipe the surfaces of the coins or jewelry with a soft cloth. If the dirt is not completely removed, repeat the procedure. Just do not leave a coin in this solution under any circumstances. Otherwise, the coin will lose its true color, and achieving patina will not be easy. I like to use this method when cleaning silver coins of the USSR and RSFSR.

More The best way than citric acid is ammonia. They are especially good at cleaning coins that are green and have other deposits. The optimal time for holding a coin in ammonia is no more than a minute. This time is enough for the coin to be wiped with a cloth and unnecessary deposits removed. If not everything is cleared, repeat the procedure. If after several times oxides remain on the coin, then it is possible to use abrasives - soda (or any Pemoluxes), although numismatists do not recommend doing this, they say, you still need to clean it with chemicals.

In general, if you see that the coin has a decent value, then it is better to contact a cleaning specialist, especially if you do not have experience in cleaning complex stains. Better yet, sell the coin as is. Those who need it can clean it themselves; improper cleaning can reduce the value of the coin several times.

Antique silver coins tend to fade and even turn green over time. And then there is the problem of cleaning silver coins. This color change is usually due to the presence of some copper in them. Numismatists call tarnish patina.

If the surface of the coin is dirty, it will have to be cleaned. With patina, the situation is twofold: on the one hand, such oxidation spoils the appearance of the coin, but on the other hand, such an uncleaned coin can cost much more. But if you want to admire the shine of silver, it is better to clean it. It can be ordered from a restorer or carried out.

In the first case, you will have a 100% guarantee of cleaning quality and significant financial costs. By doing the cleaning yourself, you will save a lot of money, but the result will depend not only on your diligence and patience, but also on luck. Indeed, often under the patina layer there are various small damages to the surface, and inept or careless cleaning can only aggravate the situation. Therefore, if your collection contains valuable specimens, you should not skimp on the services of a restorer.

Before cleaning coins, you need to decide (at least approximately) their value, degree of contamination and wear. Usually when minted on large coins The silver was of a high standard, and the fine ones were of a lower standard.

Basic ways to clean coins

There are several methods available for cleaning silver coins that can be used at home:

• soap solution or gruel;
• toothpaste or powder;
• soda;
• vinegar;
• ammonia;
• citric acid;
• special cleaning products.

Using soap to clean coins made of any metal is the most gentle, but at the same time the least effective method. Soap will help remove dirt and grease from the surface, but will not remove plaque. First you need to prepare a cleaning solution. To prepare a soap solution, baby soap is best suited. A coin is placed in this solution for a while, then removed and cleaned with a toothbrush under running water. The brush must be soft, otherwise the surface of the coin will end up with small scratches. Usually it is not possible to clean a coin in one go, so you have to repeat this procedure several times.

Cleaning in a soapy “porridge” is similar to the first method, only for it it is not a solution that is prepared, but a slurry from finely ground baby or laundry soap. A coin is placed in such a slurry and left for a while so that the soap eats away the grease and dirt. Sometimes this takes several weeks. At the end of the cleaning period, the coin is taken out, washed and cleaned with a soft toothbrush.

Brushing with toothpaste or tooth powder also works well to remove grease and dirt. This cleaning is done by applying a little toothpaste or powder to the surface of the coin and wiping it with a soft, clean cloth. But when choosing this method, you need to take into account that there are pastes that contain abrasive particles for better whitening. Such pastes can easily scratch the surface of a coin, so they cannot be used for cleaning.

Baking soda works well on green oxidized stains, so this method is used mainly for low-grade coins. If the coin is of great value, it is better to avoid this method, since soda is an abrasive material and will most likely leave scratches on the surface when cleaning. To clean, soda must first be mixed with water to form a mushy mass. This paste is rubbed into the surface of the coin until the silver shines again.

You can also use regular table vinegar 6% for cleaning. Use a soft cloth soaked in it to clean the coin until you achieve the desired result. To get results faster and better, it is better to warm the vinegar a little.

Cleaning silver coins with ammonia is one of the most popular methods among numismatists. The coin should be immersed in ammonia for 3-4 minutes, then removed and wiped with a soft cloth. This procedure must be repeated until the plaque disappears and the coin shines like new.

Regular citric acid cleans silver items well. A tablespoon of it is dissolved in half a glass of water, and then a coin is dropped into this solution. It remains there for 2-3 seconds, after which it is taken out and wiped with a clean soft cloth. However, this method requires experience and skill, since if you keep the coin in the solution, the effect will be exactly the opposite of what was expected. Therefore, many coin collectors prefer to use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of citric acid: it is not as aggressive as acid.

If you wish, you can purchase a ready-to-use special liquid for cleaning silver items at your nearest jewelry store. But if you do not strictly follow the instructions for its use, you can ruin the coin, because such cleaning products remove a very thin layer of silver from the surface. If you are determined to do the cleaning yourself, stick to the algorithm: from simple to complex, from less valuable to more valuable.

In practice, this means that before you start cleaning silver coins, it is better to try cleaning copper coins first. This way you will test your capabilities and improve your skills a little, and if you fail, it won’t be so annoying, because copper coins Most are valued an order of magnitude, or even two, less than silver.

All lovers of this beautiful metal at one point notice that it has lost its former shine and is no longer so pleasing to the eye. This is due to the plaque that appears on it, which accumulates over time and becomes increasingly difficult to clean.

Two coins: one before cleaning, the other after

If you want to always see your coins in perfect order, do not delay, clean them as soon as cloudiness appears.

Popular methods

Cleaning silver coins in special salons

Nowadays, the saying “every whim for your money” is very common. And indeed, no matter what types of services we are offered, this is also true for silver cleaning. On the Internet you can find many websites of cleaning companies dealing with this issue. Surely you can find something for yourself.

However, why spend money on specialists if you can do the cleaning yourself, especially. If it does not involve any complex actions and the use of special knowledge.

Don’t forget - the sooner you start cleaning, the sooner you’ll finish it and the less energy you’ll lose. Write this down as a motto for yourself. Silver loves to be handled with care.

So, let's look at the most effective ways cleaning silver coins at home.

How to clean old coins?

As a rule, silver coins do not contain stones, although there are commemorative coins that were originally made for beauty; they require a slightly different approach. Let's look at everything in order.

1. First you need to remove any unwanted dirt and grease from the surface of the product. Regular soap can help with this, but preferably liquid or dishwashing soap. Although it is more aggressive, it does not leave a soapy residue.

Dilute a weak soap solution and hold the coins in it for about five minutes, then rub (never against each other), rinse under regular warm water and blot with a towel or napkin. This procedure will speed up subsequent cleaning and make it more effective.

If there is dirt left in hard-to-reach places, you can try using a needle, toothpick or brush, whichever is more convenient for you, get rid of the dirt and rinse the coin under water again.

Prepare a soap solution

As soon as there is no dirt or grease left on the coin, you can move on to the next step.

1. The following are several methods:

• tooth powder. Take a coin and dip it in this powder. Then we will need rags (fleecy ones will be more convenient), rub the coin until it shines;
• toothpaste. The steps here are exactly the same as in the first recipe, but this method eliminates minor scratches on the metal. In essence, this is a more gentle version of the first method;
• tooth powder with ammonia. Ammonia, or as it is also called, ammonia solution (ammonia itself will not work, the liquid is too concentrated), you can buy at the pharmacy. It must be mixed with tooth powder and brought to a homogeneous paste (it does not need to be very thick or very liquid, medium consistency is best). Once the paste is ready, apply it to the coin (you can use a cotton pad to avoid damaging your hands) and let it dry. After drying, wipe the product with a cloth or rinse;
• ammonia and water. Dilute water with ammonia in a ratio of 10:1, mix and place the coins in this solution. Then the process will go on its own, but your constant control is needed. takes from ten minutes to an hour, but the main thing here is not to overdo it, it’s better to repeat the procedure later than the metal will begin to corrode. If you want to carry out such cleaning when the coin has just begun to darken, it will be enough to simply wipe it with a cloth soaked in a solution. If the contamination is very strong, you can take a chance and try putting the coin in pure ammonia. The reaction will go faster, don’t miss the moment when it’s time to get it. After cleaning, rinse the coin and dry it;
• soda. Add water to the soda until you get a homogeneous porridge. Afterwards, take a little bit and rub the product. Be careful not to damage the surface. If you are uncomfortable performing this procedure with your hands, then take a bandage or a piece of cotton wool. You need to rub the coin until the cloudiness disappears and shine appears. If there is plaque left in some hard-to-reach parts, use a brush. After cleaning, rinse the coin under water and wipe dry;
• salt, soda and detergent. First, we prepare the solution; we need a liter of water, a tablespoon of salt, soda and dishwashing detergent (not just one tablespoon, but of each substance). Mix everything until smooth. Place the coins in a heat-resistant bowl, fill with the solution and place on low heat for about half an hour. Don't forget to constantly monitor the process. Then, as always, rinse and dry;
• special liquids and wipes. Some jewelry companies may also sell jewelry care products. There are special liquids for cleaning silver. Instructions for them can be found on the packaging or asked from the seller.

How to clean a silver coin with stones

Now see how to clean coins with stones. Such methods can be suitable not only for semi-precious stones, but also for precious stones:

1. The first stages are absolutely identical, but you shouldn’t forget about them!

And here are a couple of recipes:

1. Ammonia and water. This method is suitable for coins if there are no pearls. For the solution, you need a glass of water and six drops of ammonia, mix it and place a cloth there, which you then use to wipe the coins until they are completely clean. After the procedure, we rinse and wipe the silver.
2. Egg water. First, boil the eggs, after boiling, take them out (you can keep them longer if you don’t like soft-boiled) and let the water cool. As soon as it becomes not hot. We put coins there. We wait for a while. You might be surprised, but this method really works. Don't forget to dry the items.

How to keep silver clean for a long time

After you have rid the coins of the black coating, it is too early to rejoice.

That's seven very simple rules, which are often overlooked, but will keep your silver clean and shiny for months or even years after cleaning:

1. Store each coin in a separate case; do not dump them all in one big pile, as they will get scratched and the cleaning process will become more difficult.
2. Don't forget, metals don't like high humidity. Silver may lose its luster and become cloudy ahead of time. You can put silicate gel on it (you can find it in shoe boxes).
3. Do not store silver coins in direct sunlight, as they will stop shining.
4. Avoid sudden temperature changes.
5. Wipe the silver with a special cloth or piece of velvet. This will prevent the development of turbidity.
6. Silver loves attention, it sounds absurd, but don’t let it gather dust on the shelf for a long time.
7. Do not leave coins where they may be exposed to unwanted reactions with chlorine, mercury or sulfur