How to clean copper-nickel coins. Cleaning Soviet kopecks from cupronickel How to clean a nickel coin

One of the frequent finds on the mine is Soviet small things in denominations of 10, 15, 20 kopecks, made of a special alloy of copper and nickel. These pennies are reddish in color, but originally they were white and shiny like silver. But, since copper is among the components of cupronickel, it is precisely this that is “responsible” for the appearance of the red coating. If you are wondering how to restore a coin to its original appearance, here is a cleaning method for you.

He came to us from cooking. In Soviet times, there were many teaspoons and ladles made of cupronickel. They tended to darken and acquire a brownish tint. And every housewife had a note on how to rid her kitchen utensils of such a scourge.

Actually, the recipe itself.

What is needed for cleaning?

You will need: baking soda, foil, boiling water (fresh from the kettle). Well, and, in fact, the coins themselves - 10, 15, 20 kopecks from 1931-34, which are either stored in your “homeland bins” or were recently found in a mine. Let us note that the specimens extracted from the ground most often look downright bad and are in disgusting condition.

Coin before cleaning

Cleaning process

Take a small enamel container. We put the foil. Cover its surface with soda in an even layer of two or three millimeters. Then place the coins on the soda.

We also cover them with soda in the same layer as the first one. Preparing boiling water: if the kettle is electric, and the water boiled about 10 minutes ago, turn it on again. Pour boiling water over everything prepared.

Close the whole thing with a lid and leave it safely for 12 hours.

Once done, remove the coins from the solution, wash them, and clean them with a toothbrush. You can use soap, toothpaste, dishwashing detergent - whatever you want.

Coin after first cleaning.

The procedure must be repeated up to two or three times so that most of the red plaque is gone.

Please note that after cleaning, damage to the coins will immediately become noticeable. Where the surface remains smooth, there will be a silvery sheen, and where there are chips and scratches, the surface will remain dull, darkish and matte.

Copper-nickel coins are preserved quite well both in an aggressive environment and in soil. And since they began to mint from a copper-nickel alloy small change In Russia only in 1931, especially old and heavily oxidized coins simply do not exist. But the main thing that happens to nickel coins is the coating with oxides of an unpleasant red-brown color. Such oxides are quite difficult to clean.

Cleaning Nickel Coins with Soap

A soap solution for copper-nickel coins perfectly removes green oxides (the same as when cleaning copper coins), but practically does not touch red oxides.

Cleaning Nickel Coins by Electrolysis

For copper-nickel coins, when cleaning them by electrolysis, there is one special limitation: if you use graphite or stainless steel as the anode (“+”), then the surface of the coin will be well cleaned of oxides, but due to the presence of copper in the coin’s composition, it will acquire a characteristic copper tint. To eliminate this drawback, you can either use a nickel anode or carry out cleaning in two stages: the first is cleaning with a conventional anode and the second is covering the coin with a layer of nickel (the same cleaning but with a nickel anode).

This cleaning method is not universal and the only one. On the contrary, while showing good results for coins with weak damage to the coin field, for heavily oxidized coins electrolysis opens all cavities and other defects.

Cleaning copper-nickel coins in acetic acid

Vinegar, as an aggressive medium, can be used to dissolve oxides on the surface of the coin. The disadvantage of this method of cleaning is damage to the surface of the coin; the photographs show that the entire coin after vinegar becomes littered with small cavities. In addition, the color of the coin changes from an unnatural red-brown to an equally unnatural pink.

This coin was cleaned with vinegar in which it spent about a day. After removing it from the vinegar, it was cleaned with baking soda and a short-bristle toothbrush. For comparison, it was photographed next to a coin that was stored in good conditions and has an ideal appearance and does not require cleaning.

Cleaning copper-nickel coins in vinegar and salt

This is, so to speak, an attempt to improve on the previous cleaning method; the main disadvantage of cleaning in vinegar is the appearance of a faint, but still noticeable pink coating of copper on the coin. Particular attention should be paid to the greenery on the coin; in areas of the copper-nickel coin where there are dense green copper oxides, after such cleaning pink copper spots will remain, which is not very beautiful. Thus, this method is applicable in cases where the coin is coated with uniform red nickel oxides.

The essence of the technology is that we add a teaspoon of ordinary table salt to 50 grams of 7% table vinegar and stir a little. It is difficult to dissolve such an amount of salt in such a small volume of vinegar, and this is not required; part of the salt should remain undissolved and lie at the bottom of the container in which cleaning is carried out. During this cleaning, coins should not be placed on their edges, but simply placed on the salt and turned over every 2-5 minutes. Depending on the degree of oxidation of the coin, it will take from 5 to 20 minutes.

Cleaning nickel coins with Trilon-B

Trilon-B is a fairly strong cleaning agent; it easily dissolves any oxides on the coin. And since copper-nickel coins do not have such a valuable patina as copper or silver coins, cleaning them with Trilon cannot harm them.

Since it is quite problematic to buy pure hydrochloric acid in ordinary stores, for cleaning we used the “Toilet Duckling” plumbing cleaner, which contains that same hydrochloric acid.

Cleaning nickel coins with GOI paste

In general, the abrasive cleaning method is not desirable and is completely unacceptable for rare and valuable coins, but can be used to add shine to inexpensive coins from modern or not very old coins. Such cleaning only has a negative effect on the value of coins, so if the coin is ever sold, it is best not to clean it with GOI paste and other micro-abrasives. As a result of such cleaning, small details are erased and for coins of average or poor preservation this method is not applicable since the relief can be completely destroyed.

If you ask a numismatist how to clean a coin from the period from 1931 to 1957 with a denomination of 10 to 20 kopecks, you most likely will not receive adequate advice. These coins are minted from a copper-nickel alloy (also called cupronickel), and when oxidized, the surface of the coin becomes covered with a coating from red to dark brown. It is almost impossible to remove this plaque without harming the coin. But, even if you remove the plaque, the field of the coin will appear before you in the form of visible and not very visible caverns.

In most cases, cupro-nickel coins are not cleaned, even if some are rare varieties or "rare years", as improper cleaning can permanently kill the coin.

If you still have a great desire to clean your coins, but don’t know how, then I’ll tell you about one interesting way to clean Soviet copper-nickel coins. I’ll say right away that I tried several methods on many dozens of coins, and settled on one. Of course, it has more disadvantages than advantages, but, most importantly, it has advantages.

I am not forcing anyone to use this particular cleaning method, you can only look at the following photos for the result, i.e. make sure what happened before and what happened after. If you liked it, you can experiment on your inexpensive coins (just not rare ones).

The cleaning method is as follows: take a low container and pour 100 ml of water and 1 teaspoon of undiluted vinegar into it (which is in a glass bottle). Place coins in the solution so that they do not touch each other. Cover the container tightly with a lid (otherwise the solution will evaporate quickly). Once a day, using a metal dishwashing sponge (a terrible tool for a numismatist), wipe the surface of the coins, but without much fanaticism. Instead of a sponge, it is also logical to use a brass brush (I don’t have one, as soon as one suitable in terms of rigidity appears, I will conduct an experiment with it). Each time, place the coin back into the solution with the other side. On average, your coins will only “shine” 6-8 times.

These five coins are not rare years I chose for cleaning. About 99 percent of all copper-nickel coins from this period that have been in the ground for a long time look like this.

This is the result after two cleanings. As you can see, the redness has just begun to fade, but there are still a few days left before the end.

And this is what the coins look like after the eighth cleaning. This final result. Please note that some coins may take much longer for the red coating to completely remove.

You need to answer a few questions that you probably have:
- It is not dangerous to use a metal sponge for coins. As I wrote above, large oxidation is very difficult to remove using chemistry alone. A metal sponge will make the cleaning process easier and much faster (otherwise the cleaning would take several months). As I noticed, after cleaning some scratches on the surface of the coins can be seen, but the coin will look as if it was well polished.

Is it possible to use some kind of abrasive powder instead of a metal sponge? I used both baking soda and Pemolux. In principle, they clean, but after cleaning the coins are very dull, and the fingers are completely covered in calluses. It's not worth it.

You may be interested to know what will happen to the coins in the solution if you forget about them for a couple of weeks. The photo clearly shows the result - you will become the owner of unique emerald-colored crystals.

Cleaning and restoration of Soviet coins, despite its apparent simplicity, is a rather painstaking and complex procedure. And first of all, this is explained by the fact that coins from the USSR periods had several different issues, which differed in different materials of manufacture. Accordingly, based on the material that was used to issue the coin, different cleaning methods are selected. And for this you need to have at least minimal knowledge about the coin issues themselves.

Moreover, if we consider that most coins of the period Soviet Union and to this day have a low market value, the question of the relevance of the cleaning process involuntarily arises. Is the game worth the candle?

Description of coin issues in the period 1924-1993

So, in the tables below you will find USSR coins of various issues with a short description, photographs and an indication of the material from which they are made.

The first coins of the USSR period were issued in 1924 after the monetary reform of 1922-1924. These were copper coins in denominations of 1, 2, 3 and 5 kopecks, 500 silver coins in denominations of 10, 15 and 20 kopecks and 900 silver coins in denominations of 1 fifty dollars and 1 ruble. Subsequently, a copper coin with a denomination of half a penny was added to this coin series.

Coins of the 1924-1925 model
Photo	Denomination	Weight, G.	Diameter, mm	Years release	Material
	half a kopeck	1,64	16,00	1925, 1927, 1928	copper
	1 kopeck	3,27	23,10	1924, 1925
	2 kopecks	6,55	24,00	1924, 1925
	3 kopecks	9,80	27,70	1924
	5 kopecks	16,38	32,00	1924
	10 kopecks	1,80	17,27	1924-1925, 1927-1931	silver 500 samples
	15 kopecks	2,70	19,56	1924-1925, 1927-1931
	20 kopecks	3,60	21,84	1924-1925, 1927-1931
	1 half a ruble	10,00	26,67	1924-1927	silver 900 samples
	1 ruble	20,00	33,50	1924

The next issue of coins was the result of a resolution of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of January 6, 1926. The decision to mint new coins was primarily caused by the large size and weight of the money of the first issue. Accordingly, in 1926, new aluminum bronze coins were issued in denominations of 1, 2, 3 and 5 kopecks.

Coins from 1926-1931
Photo	Denomination	Weight, G.	Diameter, mm	Years release	Material
	1 kopeck	1,00	15,00	1926-1935	aluminum bronze
	2 kopecks	2,00	18,00	1926-1935
	3 kopecks	3,00	22,00	1926-1935
	5 kopecks	5,00	25,00	1926-1935
	10 kopecks	1,80	17,27	1931-1934	nickel
	15 kopecks	2,70	19,56	1931-1934
	20 kopecks	3,60	21,84	1931-1934

The 1935 issue coins remained unchanged in terms of materials and sizes. The image on the obverse has been somewhat simplified bronze coins denominations of 1, 2, 3 and 5 kopecks and on nickel coins in denominations of 10, 15 and 20 kopecks the reverse was changed.

Coins from 1935
Photo	Denomination	Weight, G.	Diameter, mm	Years release	Material
	1 kopeck	1,00	15,00	1926-1935	aluminum bronze
	2 kopecks	2,00	18,00	1926-1935
	3 kopecks	3,00	22,00	1926-1935
	5 kopecks	5,00	25,00	1926-1935
	10 kopecks	1,80	17,27	1931-1934	nickel
	15 kopecks	2,70	19,56	1931-1934
	20 kopecks	3,60	21,84	1931-1934

The next issue of USSR coins in 1961 brought more significant changes. The coins of this particular issue had the longest circulation period. Coins in denominations of 1, 2, 3 and 5 kopecks remained unchanged in size and weight, while a different material was chosen for their release - an alloy of copper and zinc. The production of nickel coins in denominations of 10,15 and 20 kopecks was suspended, and the production of copper-nickel coins of the same size and weight was established. In addition, two new copper-nickel coins in denominations of 50 kopecks and 1 ruble were released into circulation.

Coins from 1961
Photo	Denomination	Weight, G.	Diameter, mm	Years release	Material
	1 kopeck	1,00	15,00	1961-1991	copper-zinc alloy
	2 kopecks	2,00	18,00	1961-1991
	3 kopecks	3,00	22,00	1961-1962, 1965-1991
	5 kopecks	5,00	25,00	1961-1962, 1965-1991
	10 kopecks	1,80	17,27	1961-1962, 1965-1991	copper-nickel alloy
	15 kopecks	2,50	19,56	1961-1962, 1965-1991
	20 kopecks	3,40	21,80	1961-1962, 1965-1991
	50 kopecks	4,40	24,00	1961, 1964-1991
	1 ruble	7,50	27,00	1961, 1964-1991

The final issue of Soviet currency notes took place in 1991. He was introduced next coins: 10 and 50 kopecks, 1, 5 and 10 rubles.

Coins from 1991
Photo	Denomination	Weight, G.	Diameter, mm	Years release	Material
	10 kopecks	1,25	17,60	1991	Brass clad steel
	50 kopecks	2,30	18,00		Copper-nickel alloy
	1 ruble	3,75	21,00
	5 rubles	5,25	24,00
	10 rubles	6,25	25,00	1991, 1992	Bimetal: center - an alloy of copper and zinc, ring - an alloy of copper and nickel

Now that we have dealt with the materials from which the coins of the former Union were made, we can move on to methods for cleaning them. Separately, I would like to say that, despite all the variety of methods for cleaning a particular coin at home, only one can be suitable! or several at once! Only experience or advice from a more “senior” friend will help you understand all this. If you doubt your knowledge and strength, then it is better not to try it at all, otherwise as a result of cleaning you may get the opposite effect.

How to Clean Copper Coins

So, with a handful of copper coins from the times of the former Soviet Union in your hands, you can begin the restoration procedure. Copper coins 1924-1925 can be cleaned in several ways:

- the simplest and, perhaps, the safest way to clean copper coins (and, indeed, other copper artifacts) is using regular soap. The principle of the method is quite simple - a soap solution is essentially a slightly alkaline medium that gradually corrodes the oxides on the coin and allows you to easily remove them with a brush. Hence the main disadvantage of this method: the effect of the solution is very weak and sometimes it takes quite a lot of time (sometimes months) in order to clean the coin to the desired quality.

To prepare the solution, you need to take a bowl and grate soap into it on a coarse grater. It should be remembered that the highest alkali content is present in laundry soap, the lowest in baby soap. Grated soap should be poured with boiling water until a liquid mass is obtained with a consistency similar to thick sour cream. It is necessary to immerse coins in this mass, it is advisable that they do not cake on each other and are covered with soap on all sides. Our coins remain in this solution for several days; they must be periodically stirred and turned over.

After a certain period of time, you need to take out the coins and use a toothbrush with cut bristles to try to remove the oxides under running warm water. If cleaning does not bring the long-awaited result, then the procedure must be repeated. Those. The coins are put back into the soap, then taken out again and washed again. And so on until you achieve the desired effect. After this, the coin should be cleaned with a toothbrush and soda so that no white residue from soap remains on its surface. Actually, the whole method.

— citric acid. In this case, the coin is immersed in the solution citric acid, but before using this method you should think 100 times, since lemon is a potent reagent. It's great for cleaning silver items, but it can destroy copper in minutes.

- another potent preparation in which, if desired, you can try to clean a heavily oxidized coin is ammonia. I repeat once again, with its help you need to clean only those coins whose oxides do not lend themselves to other more gentle means. Cleaning coins with ammonia occurs as usual: dip your “poop” in a solution of ammonia, which can be bought at any pharmacy, and wait. The reaction will be very intense. Therefore, take out the coin often and rinse it with a toothbrush under warm water.

- coin cleaning procedure electrolysis is possible only in the case when the latter does not have pronounced damage on its surface and the oxides of various salts have not corroded deep cavities in your coin. This requirement dictated by the fact that during electrolysis treatment all flaws and shortcomings will be extremely clearly expressed.

Cleaning by electrolysis is carried out as follows: a coin is attached to the cathode of a direct current source (“-”), and any copper object is attached to the anode (“+”). A simple power supply can serve as a current source, for example, from a charger to a cell phone. After which both electrodes are immersed in the electrolyte and voltage is applied. As an electrolyte, you can use a solution of regular baking soda in water in proportions of 2 tbsp. spoons per liter. Cleaning can take from a few minutes to an hour depending on the size of the coin, the degree of oxidation and the power of the current source.

- boiling coins in soda solution. A rather uncomplicated, fairly fast, but at the same time very effective cleaning technique. Actually, the process technology itself is already briefly contained in the name. Copper coins are boiled in a solution of soda in water. To prepare the solution you need to take 3...5 tbsp. spoons of soda per 0.5 l. water. The soda solution should cover our exhibits by about 2 cm, so that during the cooking process they do not end up on top of the solution. The cooking process lasts approximately 30 minutes. Then we take out each coin separately and rub it with a paste of the same soda using a toothbrush under running warm water. This method is also good for use at home, which is available in almost every home and does not require any additional costs for its purchase.

- cleaning vinegar. Vinegar, like any other acid, can be used in cleaning. But this should be done extremely carefully and in exceptional cases. Because any acid destroys the patina on the coin, damages the relief, and opens cavities. Cleaning should be done with a vinegar solution with a strength of 7...20% from any grocery store.

— disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or, more simply put, Trilon B (complexone-III, Chelaton III). An excellent cleaning agent designed to transform salts of various metals from insoluble to soluble. Thus, on coins, under the influence of Trilon B solution, many oxides and, unfortunately, patina are easily washed off. It is advisable to use this drug if the coin is evenly covered with oxides.

— mechanical cleaning . This is a rather complex and painstaking process that cannot be explained in a nutshell, so a separate article will be devoted to this cleaning method.

How to Clean Aluminum Bronze Coins

In most cases, an aluminum bronze coin is cleaned in a similar manner to a copper coin, with a few specific exceptions. The most acceptable ways:

— electrolysis. When using this method, do not forget about safety precautions; do not allow direct contact between the anode and cathode, otherwise a short circuit will occur.

- ammonia. Ammonia is more gentle on aluminum bronze coins than on copper coins, so in this case this method is more applicable.

— Trilon B. A solution of Trilon B in most cases easily removes all oxides, while not interacting at all with the metal of the item being cleaned. Even after being in the solution for quite a long time, the coin does not collapse and does not change its color. The strongest oxides require a fairly long interaction with Trilon B, up to several days, but the process can be accelerated by heating the solution.

- GOI paste. This is an abrasive cleaning method that is highly undesirable for coins in general, but for rare coins generally contraindicated.

Cleaning silver coins

Silver, unlike copper and bronze, is not such an active chemical element, so for cleaning silver coins former Union they can be used more actively.

If you use citric acid for cleaning, then to prepare the solution you need to put 2 teaspoons of concentrated lemon juice in a glass of warm water. At the same time, a volume of 10...20 ml is enough to clean one coin. solution. The coin is immersed in this solution for about 10 minutes. Then take it out and use a toothbrush to remove the softened oxides.

We do the same with ammonia. To process one coin, about 5-10 ml is required. 10% ammonia solution. In both cases, the coin must be turned over during the soaking process so that the procedure proceeds evenly on both sides.

Cleaning Nickel and Cupro-Nickel Coins

Nothing new has been invented in the field of cleaning these coins either. All the same methods are used as for cleaning previous types of coins. The only caveat is that when cleaning copper-nickel coins with vinegar, an unpleasant reddish or pink tint may appear.

Copper-nickel soviet coins, especially those dug out of the ground, are covered with a black or brown-red coating. How to get rid of it without ruining the coins?

If the coin has only a dark patina and a minimum of rust, then it is better not to clean it, so as not to harm it.

Soap

A soap solution and long soaking will help remove dirt and get rid of darkening. Use laundry or baby soap. Coins must be kept in solution for 1-7 days or 2-3 months.

Vinegar and salt

Many people use a solution of 9% vinegar and table salt to clean coins made of an alloy of copper and nickel. Pour vinegar into a glass and add a spoonful of salt. Place the coin in for 10 minutes, the main thing is not to mix coins from different alloys. After that, take out the coin, wash it, and erase the remaining marks with a school eraser.

Unfortunately, after using vinegar or citric acid, red marks appear on the coin. They are removed by soaking in hydrogen peroxide. Also try iodine, cover a coin with it, then rinse it off.

The worst thing is that after using vinegar, shells appear on the coins, and this affects their value.

Black bread

On the forums it is advised to soak nickel coins in a jar with brown bread crumbs and water. The jar must be closed, the liquid in it ferments and cleans the coin.

Detergent Silit

At home, cleaning USSR copper-nickel coins with Silit detergent brings good results. Use a stove cleaner. Take a couple of drops and clean the coin with your fingers.

Ayran

The fermented milk product ayran helps in cleaning coins, although the method is quite long. You need to soak for 3-5 days, after which the ayran is replaced with a new one, the coin is rubbed with your fingers and the result is assessed. The advantage is that the copper does not come to the surface, i.e. no redness.

Special means

On the Internet you can buy special cleaning products for copper-nickel coins, for example Silbo. It is very easy to use; the coin is soaked for 3 minutes, then wiped with a napkin.