Rock Tumbler.

Many times people on this forum and others say "don't clean coins".

This statement could not be any more honest and correct. You should never clean coins.

However there are sometimes when you will run across coins that need to be cleaned such as:

Modern (1964+) coins that have been dug, in a fire, buried, had something spilled on them that corroded them, etc.
Silver coins that have been in saltwater or in a fire. These will often be entirely black, crusted over, or heavily corroded.
Wheat pennies and other copper coins of low value.

You should never use a rock tumbler on any good looking old coins, Indian head pennies , or anything you think may hold value. This process will strip a lot off, and can damage coins.
The rock tumbler will remove some, but it will not remove it all in some cases. Some coins can go beyond help, and nothing will save them.

The rock tumbler is very good for cleaning up modern "change" coins you have found with a metal detector, cleaning crud off wheat pennies, and brightening silver coins that are "burnt" looking.

Today I acquired some wheat pennies that were "grubby" looking to say the least.

Here they are in the barrel of the tumbler.

Pea gravel makes a good media. Add water to cover the coins, a bit of liquid soap, and a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Here is my tumbler. It can hold twelve pounds of rock/coin/water mix.


Six hours later they look like this:


The black colored penny is a steel wheat penny.

Some coins are still dark, you could tumble them further, but they are pitted, further tumbling will just show more pitting.

Although many of them are "bright" looking, in a few months they will darken back to normal.
The tumbling process does not wear any copper off the coin.


So if you have a bunch of coins that need cleaned up, the rock tumbler is the way to go.

 

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If it wears the rocks to a polished surface it will wear the coins to a polished surface if left going longer.

 

Sweet, now you own cleaned common coins.

 

And if you want to retain Numismatic values on any of those coins, that is NOT the way to go. Sorry, but if any are worth more than melt, then you have ruined the coins.

Plus, you contradict yourself: First you say "

Many times people on this forum and others say "don't clean coins". This statement could not be any more honest and correct. You should never clean coins." Then you say "However there are sometimes when you will run across coins that need to be cleaned such as:"...


That is incorrect. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot say an absolute, and then say then that well, that doesn't apply absolutely.

If you are talking about conserving coins in some instances, that is different. But this is not conservation, it is simply polishing up coins so they are "shiny and pretty" and destroying any numismatic value in them.


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PS I like your pictures #4 and #5. They show very clearly what a coin looks like improperly cleaned. Great examples! I'll bet that under a microscope you can really see the scratches.

 

Seriously? I think a thread like this makes most people disregard anything you ever say in other threads (if they haven't already).

 

As I said...this method is to clean ONLY coins that have no numismatic value.

 

So then I ask, why waste time on cleaning coins that have no value?

 

You may like your method of "cleaning" coins, but what you put out as a good way to do so is inherently damaging to coins, and to put the disclaimer to "only do it to coins that have no value" is deceiving, IMO. Many people with old dirty coins have no idea whether they have any of value, and if they do and clean the coins then that damage can never be reversed. This is the type of procedure of cleaning coins that many web sites have listed, and many mostly boring youtube videos have been made. Most people who are new to coin collecting never look past the little disclaimers, and simply see shiny and pretty. The point is still NEVER CLEAN YOUR COINS.


I have to repeat that NEVER CLEAN YOUR COINS. And by never I mean NEVER. Not once, not a little bit, not one tiny toothbrush of anything crossing it. Even using a cotton swab rubbing lightly back and forth against a coin's surface irreparably damages that surface. There are methods of removing dirt that minimizes damage, enough to see if the coin is valuable, but even that shouldn't be done by a person until they fully understand what chances they are taking with the coin.


If you want to learn to conserve a coin, there are many threads that have info in them that addresses this. Such as using acetone baths, and going through several rinses, etc. A rock tumbler is no place for a coin. At all, ever, period, exclamation point.

If you want to learn, just ask. There are a lot of people on CT that are willing to share.

 

i think we should just keep using rock tumblers to tumble rocks. thats just my opinion

 

I don't know if the original poster is serious.
I hope not.
It is certainly irresponsible, to say the least.
Frankly, his posts continuously become more and more trollish, IMO.

 

I personally think a brillo pad is much better... less time consuming and better results.


P.S. Don't use a rock tumbler or a brillo pad. I am only joking .

 

Looking at the coins in the original photo, if they were common dates, I would just spend them. But, If the OP wants to clean them, I don't see where I can criticize him in this case. He has identified them as common, and they are his, so why can't he experiment if he wishes. Often I take a bag of uglies and seed the local park as I walk the path for the metal detectors

I sometimes feel that newcomers are really whipped with the "Don't clean your coins" crusaders. Once in a thread is enough with a friendly explanation why not to clean, but I remember counting in a thread 8 different posters all posting ( without saying why) ~ overkill.

Coins are coins, not religious artifacts. It is good to educate why coins should not be cleaned haphazardly, but the decision is the owner's if they know, but don't care.

Jim

 

While on most accounts I would agree with you DG, the OP has started multiple cleaning threads and price guide threads without accepting the slightest bit of advice or experience. Frankly, it's getting old.

Just my opinion.

 

I strongly disagree with that thinking.
We are but the conservators of the coins until the next generation of collectors comes along.
I'm not saying common date wheaties should be worshiped but deliberately destroying what little numismatic value they do have goes against my grain. YMMV
Just my 2¢

 

I understand how some members can irritate others, Believe me I can! But I do try to approach each thread as a new chance that it will be educational and pleasant. My tongue is probably at least an inch shorter since I bite it so often.

Jim

 

Why do we need to know how to clean coins?

 

Somebody needs TP for their bunghole

 

I respect your opinion, and many have it, but I do disagree that any value was destroyed from the first photo and the last photo. It started at zero and ended at zero, IMO. I would rather give the finished coins to someone than the beginning point.

Jim
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