How to clean tips. Cleaning Soviet coins (early tips)
Hello. I want to share my method of cleaning coins! You will need a small saucepan of 2-3 liters. Place the coins in a pan, fill it about halfway with water, place it on the stove, pour it into the water citric acid about a pack of 5-10 grams. We wait for the water to boil and turn the heat to moderate so that the water does not boil away! So we boil for about 30 minutes, but you need to look at the coins, periodically pulling them out with tweezers. When the coins are covered with reddish scale, we take them out and wash them. Stage 2: Take an engraving machine, put on a polishing wheel, often use felt, apply a paste to the felt, and make medium turns, otherwise the coin will burn! We begin to apply the paste to the coin with gentle movements. Then we increase the pressure on the coin, and the paste should completely come off the felt. VOILA, THE COIN SHINES LIKE NEW! This method is suitable for preserved coins, but also cleans dead coins. Of course, this method will not restore the metal eaten by rust and oxide! At least it makes walkers, scoops and late Russia clean and attractive! Example of the process in the photo! there are scoops at the bottom, walkers at the top, different ones on the left!
One of the most common finds in the mine are coins from the Soviet period before 1961. They are also called early councils. In 1924 Soviet Union begins to mint coins from copper, but literally a few years later replaces this alloy with aluminum bronze for coins in denominations of 1,2,3 and 5 kopecks, as well as a copper-nickel alloy for coins in denominations of 10,15 and 20 kopecks. These alloys are very resistant to wear and tear, so when properly cleaned they look like new.
All we need to give the coin a suitable appearance is “Tsinkar”, which can be bought at any car store. I also use it on modern ten-ruble coins with very serious rust and severe darkening.
We just put coins in there and periodically take them out to clean them with a brush under warm water. The process can be repeated until the coin is completely clean. Oxides are cleaned off quickly enough and therefore the process proceeds very quickly, even the most difficult dirt is cleaned within 3 hours.
As a result, you can see below, on a very apparently killed coin, what was and what became. This is 3 kopecks made of aluminum bronze. Only the outline of the number three is visible.
The coin and year became visible.
But unfortunately, the very deep cavities on the coin will not allow it to look attractive. Unfortunately, at the time of writing this article, I did not have average contamination of a coin made of this material, so if anything appears, I will definitely post it and show you what an ideal coin should look like after cleaning.
And 20 kopecks made of copper-nickel alloy. Was…
It has become. The coin is like new and can be added to your collection.
As you can see, any oxides are cleaned, everything just depends on the state of the coin field under the oxides, the final result will depend on this.
That's all, if you have anything to add, please leave your comments below.
Hi all.
French way.
First, all coins need to be soaked in a soap solution (water, laundry soap_make the consistency weak so that the water is almost transparent - this will wash away the dirt so as not to scratch the coin in the future) keep the coins in this state for a maximum of 2 days and do not forget in the morning and in the evening, stir this pile of coins in the water (do not pay attention if the coins darken or turn black a little - this reaction will be harmless for your coins and it will soon disappear after reacting with acids, but everything is in order!))). After soaking the coins in soapy water, take them out one at a time to rinse them with tap water.
Dry all coins.
Next will be the treatment of coins with acids (it is better to process in batches; sort the coins into two or three groups regarding the condition of the coins, this will eliminate the possibility of keeping the coin in acid). Take a container for soaking coins, a lid from a package of sour cream as I did (like House in the Village, etc., since this does not matter, but preferably not deep, because this will save you liquid for processing coins in the future and you will have to do this discard the container later). I used household acids in the form of Comet - toilet disinfection, it contains the necessary acids for cleaning coins. Pour a little of this liquid into the plastic container that I wrote about above, arrange the coins so that they are all on the same side (heads or tails), this will help you not get confused which coin you turned over and which one you didn’t and wait 1 minute, then turn the coins over to the other side and wait another 1 minute (use rubber gloves, protect your fingers from the liquid as well as your eyes and mucous membranes). After 2-3 minutes have passed, take out one coin at a time from this liquid with acids and rub this coin with your fingers, turning it clockwise; you will visually notice how slight corrosion or dark spots on the coin will disappear and the liquid will become dirty on your fingers, which confirms that the coin is being cleaned))) having washed small batches of coins of 6-10 pieces in this way, you should then rinse them under running water and wipe them dry with a dry towel. They will need to be given the opportunity to dry, after which there will be the next stage of cleaning the coins (don’t pay attention that the coins have turned pink - this is easy to remove!!!))) Other batches of coins from another group can be kept in this liquid longer, because they have a little more corrosion and this requires additional time.
Prepare iodine (it reacts with the pink tint and can remove it), cotton wool or ear sticks with the same cotton wool. Treat dried coins with iodine on both sides, applying a small layer of iodine to them using just this cotton wool. The coin will slowly become matte (although it will be the same when treated with acids) and the pink color will disappear. Wait 20 minutes and proceed to the final stage.
You will need an eraser (I buy erasers at printing kiosks, although you can also buy them at specialized stationery stores - they will cost much cheaper there). We need a white eraser!!! if it is double-sided, then use only the light part of the eraser/one that is intended for a pencil, and not for a ballpoint pen. Fix the coin on a plastic board with your hands and start rubbing it with just the same eraser you bought and the result will not keep you waiting long))) Yes, the coin will be very glossy in the first days, but after a week its patina will fade a little, a little, a little and it will be amazing !
Good luck cleaning your coins everyone.
PS I liked this method, I don’t know who is achieving what results, but everything suited me, including the buyers at auctions)))
Are you an avid collector? Do you have a lot of old exhibits, but have they changed their appearance over time? In this article we will tell you how to clean coins at home until they shine!
This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age
Have you already turned 18?
Cleaning coins is a labor-intensive and painstaking process. To clean the exhibit, you must follow a number of instructions that are mentioned in this material. Let's look at how to clean a copper coin at home. This will help if you need to clean copper coins from oxide, from blackness, from green plaque.
Analyze the degree of contamination and decide how you can help your exhibit. If you decide to clean coins, then you cannot do without soap and ammonia. You should avoid using chemicals: this could damage the exhibit.
Method 1: soap and water
Take soap (preferably laundry soap) and grate it. Add 1 liter of water. Leave the coins in the solution for 10-15 minutes. The dirt will become wet and can be easily removed with a sponge.
Method 2: Vinegar
Put on gloves, take a soft sponge and apply some vinegar to it. Rub the coin with light massage movements. After this, rinse the coin under warm water to remove any remaining product. An alternative to vinegar can be ammonia.
Method 3: lemon
Take a fresh lemon and cut it into 2 halves. Insert a coin directly into the pulp of the fruit and leave for 15 minutes. After the time has passed, take it out and carefully clean it with a brush. Don't forget to rinse with water at the end.
How to clean rust from a coin?
Each collector has his own secrets for cleaning coins from rust and other contaminants. Each metal has a unique chemical composition, so you need to know what can and cannot be used to restore these valuables.
To clean a coin from rust you can use:
- vinegar;
- citric acid/juice;
- soda;
- coca cola;
- salt;
- laundry soap.
Use all these means by analogy with the above methods.
To date, there is no single cleaning method silver coins at home, because everything here directly depends on their sample and degree of oxidation. This is due to the fact that they have different chemical compositions, and, accordingly, different ways cleaning.
Old specimens of high standard are cleaned of blackness within an hour with a solution of ammonia (90% water). If there is none, then you can replace it with a soda solution (300 g per 1 liter of water), in which they should be soaked for about 2-3 hours. If desired, you can boil the solution a little for a better effect. This should rid the coin of blackness, which is important for older coins.
To clean a coin, use a mixture of toothpaste, baking soda and ammonia. This method is good because it does not contain abrasive particles that can harm silver. This mass should be applied to the contaminated surface and cleaned thoroughly with a brush.
For exhibits made from low-grade silver, the Trilon B method is suitable (Trilon B is special kind salt). You need to dissolve 1 tbsp. a spoonful of salt in a glass of hot water, then put coins in there and wait for the result. However, in order not to harm the metal, all actions should be carried out in well-ventilated areas. Next, this process must be continued by treatment with a special means for cleaning silver of a certain sample.
How to clean blackness from a coin?
Time is one of the few causes of blackness. In this article we will tell you how to clean dirt from exhibits. Over time, the top layer of copper oxidizes as a result of contact with air, which is why a special coating appears on the surface - patina. It looks like a black coating, which can be difficult to get rid of even for an experienced restorer.
However, there are several tricks that can help get rid of this problem. Alternatively, the coin can be wiped with a cotton pad soaked in ammonia, followed by rinsing in a warm soapy solution. The main component of this alcohol is ammonia, which, due to its properties, reacts well with copper oxide compounds.
There is another way to clean a copper surface - a mixture of oxalic acid, turpentine, ethyl alcohol and water. This mixture can both clean dirt and degrease and remove metal oxide.
There are times when you don’t know how to clean coins from oxidation. After all, oxidized coins lose their original, marketable appearance. The cleaning method largely depends on the type of alloy itself, so you should carefully determine what type of corrosion has affected the metal.
There are many types of corrosion, the most common of which are which are:
- green spots - oxidized copper surface. Formed as a result of prolonged exposure to a humid and damp environment;
- a reddish coating, most often found on coins that have been in a poorly ventilated space;
- The black color of the metal is a patina, indicating the great age of the metal.
There are several ways to get rid of green coating. One of the safest is cleaning with a solution of diluted vinegar. To prepare it, you need to take two tablespoons of food vinegar per liter of clean water (ideally distilled). After this, you should place the coins in this liquid so that they do not come into contact with other surfaces and have the smallest area of contact with the walls of the container in which they are placed. This is necessary to ensure that the entire surface of the coin is evenly exposed to the acid.
There have been many cases where large quantities of coins were placed in a small container, resulting in uneven etching and staining from uncleaned areas.
It is also necessary to promptly clean the layers formed due to the action of the vinegar mixture. This must be done several times a day, taking the coin out. You need to clean it with a toothbrush. But it should be remembered that excessive force can seriously damage the coin and form red spots that practically cannot be removed without mechanical intervention.
This method will help clean both oxidation and various dirt stains. But we should not forget that full restoration should not be expected, since the structure of the metal undergoes irreversible changes over time.
How to clean a bimetallic coin?
A self-respecting numismatist knows that each type of alloy requires its own approach to cleaning. The most common problem is the condition of the metals, when one part of the coin needs cleaning with anti-corrosion solutions, but the other is in good condition. And if ordinary cleaning with acid solutions is applied to such cases, then there is a chance of harming the second metal, which can cause defects such as tarnishing, changes in the chemical composition of the top layer of the alloy, or changes in the base color.
That is why cleaning bimetallic coins at home may not give the desired results, but will definitely lead to their surface being damaged. better view. To carry out such procedures, you will need a soda solution (2 spoons per glass of hot boiled water). The coin needs to be placed in it for 15-20 minutes. Do not forget about the above comment regarding its placement in the container. After pulling it out, you can clean it with white toothpaste without dyes. If there is none, you can use tooth powder. But it should be taken into account that its abrasive particles can leave micro-scratches, so this procedure should be carried out extremely carefully so as not to damage the surface and not cause microcracks.
If the above method does not give sufficient effect, you can try chemical agents to dissolve limescale and corrosion. To do this, apply a small amount of gel to the surface of the coin and wipe it thoroughly with a soft cloth. If the stains do not come off, you can try the same steps, but using a toothbrush.
After these procedures are carried out correctly, the metal should acquire its characteristic color and shine.
Avid numismatists also have zinc specimens. Cleaning such coins is a very labor-intensive process. This is due to the fact that zinc reacts actively with strong acids, but its salts have poor reactivity to weak acid solutions. That is why the best option for cleaning such valuables is to dissolve the patina layer in a container with a 1% solution of hydrochloric acid.
Before you start etching the metal, you should remember that the coin cannot be left unattended in such a liquid, since it is required to check its condition every 5 seconds. This is necessary in order to see the moment when the patina has already worn off and the acid has taken on the base metal.
Cleaning zinc specimens at home will be much more effective if the container is wide enough. This is necessary in order to keep the coin in the acid and at the same time clean it with a toothbrush. Hydrochloric acid is different in that:
- has different activity with metals;
- does not harm human skin;
- has good reaction with zinc and iron.
After cleaning, the coin should be rinsed from acid residues with strong water pressure. This is due to the fact that if you simply throw it into water, the acid will remain on the surface of the zinc for some time. This can lead to additional etching of the alloy, which is extremely undesirable for such products.
Complete cleaning zinc coins at home is a rather labor-intensive task, so one should not expect much effect. However, in any case, they will acquire a more attractive appearance and add to their value.