Metal, despite its apparent strength, corrodes and oxidizes over time. The problem worries collectors of rare, ancient coins. To preserve the appearance of valuable items, you must regularly clean their treasures at home using various methods.
For cleaning coins, specialized solutions are created that remove dirt, oxides, and eliminate surface irregularities. But in order to give an ideal look to the collection, it is not necessary to buy expensive products. Take advantage of other options that will save and get the result, proven by many years of practice.
Proven coin cleaning methods
The need for expensive solutions will disappear if you use safe methods for cleaning valuable items at home. The preparation and application techniques for removing contaminants and oxidation traces are presented in the table.
| Means | Application | Important points | The disadvantages of the method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon acid | In a small ceramic go plastic dish, dilute citric acid with water. Apply the resulting solution to the coins. | The environment aggressively affects metals, so monitor the reaction of the “home” product and, if necessary, turn the coins in solution. | To protect coins from “caustic” effects, apply an artificial protective layer of patina on them before cleaning. |
| Soap solution | Grate the baby soap and dissolve the chips in a small amount of water, stir until a homogeneous mass in which put the coins for a while. | The method using baby soap is gentle. | A single exposure is not enough to completely clean the surface of the coins. Repeat “soap baths” for a week, until you get the result. |
| Baking soda | To restore the original shine, immerse coins in an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate. In case of severe contamination, treat the obverse and reverse with “soda gruel” by mixing alkali with ammonia or toothpaste. | If the product is cooked in excess, store it in a tightly closed container. | Cleaning coins with baking soda is not a mechanical way to combat dirt and oxides. This is a chemical reaction where soda acts as an alkali. |
| Coca-Cola Drink | Sweet soda is a great way to clean chrome surfaces. Place the coins in a drink container and leave them near a heater or other heat source. | Solves minor issues. More difficult situations require radical cleaning methods. | Phosphoric acid contained in the drink will remove contaminants from the metal surface. It takes a week to give antique coins a glossy sheen. |
| "Oil" boiling | For the procedure of boiling coins, vegetable or liquid paraffin is necessary. They are heated in a water bath. Using a container or metal sieve, lower the coins into a container for 10 minutes. Then they are washed and boiled again, but already in distilled water. | The method is not suitable for cleaning silver coins, but it copes with pollution on bronze, iron and other alloys. | Watch the process of “boiling” coins, since oils remove not only oxides, but also a protective layer of patina. |
| Electrolysis is an indispensable tool | "Required: a power supply with a power of 6-12 V, clamps attached to a power source, a metal" conductor ", glassware or ceramics, a solution of salt mixed with water in the proportions of 1 tsp per 1 liter. Attach the clamps as follows: “minus” to the coin, “plus” to the conductor. Dip them in saline containers. Wash and dry the "bathed" coin. " | Using equipment, observe safety rules. Pre-test a regular coin to avoid spoiling the collector's item. | The use of electrolysis at home requires practical experience with electricity. |
How to clean old silver and gold coins
In the collections of numismatists there are precious coins of gold and silver, requiring careful treatment. Store them separately and away from banknotes from other metals to eliminate the possibility of oxidation of products.
Regularly carry out special procedures for the care and cleaning of rare specimens to maintain a liquid appearance.
| Purification Method | Necessary fixtures | Preliminary preparation | Application technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical cleaning to remove dust and other minor contaminants. | Several brushes with varying degrees of hardness. | Before carrying out both procedures, immerse the coins in a container with distilled water for 2-3 days. This will soften the dirt and highlight areas that have been badly damaged. Wash products with soap and dry with a paper towel. | Gently polish the coins with a toothbrush. Bristles easily penetrate into any structural “patterns” of the surface. |
| Dry cleaning to deal with extensive contaminants and oxides. | 10% ammonia solution. | Immerse coins in an ammonia solution for an hour. To avoid chemical burns, put on rubber gloves, remove specimens, rinse under a stream of warm water and dry. |
By following the simple rules for cleaning rare collectible precious metal coins at home, you can achieve great results.
Cleaning coins from other metals at home
Not only coins made of precious metals require a careful approach to the cleaning process from plaque, rust and cracks resulting from corrosion. Each type of metal has its own rules.
How to clean copper coins
Before starting work, determine the type of contamination by evaluating the color of the coating. Begin work, armed with the necessary tools.
| Type of pollution | Cleaning methods | Final stage |
|---|---|---|
| Red plaque | Dip the copper coins in the prepared 5% ammonia solution for 2 minutes. Remove, rinse thoroughly and dry. | After washing the copper coins with distilled water, dry them and apply a protective patina layer on the surface, which will give shine and smoothness to the specimens. Preparation of the composition for patination: dilute 50 g of copper sulfate in 1 liter of pure water, add 5 g of potassium permanganate. Heat the mixture to 90 ° C. Dip the coins, keep in the solution for several minutes, turning over so that the patina lies evenly. |
| Green bloom | Immerse copper coins in a solution of citric acid for 1-2 minutes. Rinse and dry each copy after removal. | |
| Yellow plaque | In a solution of acetic acid with water, place the coins for a few minutes until the coating disappears. Rinse and dry after removal. |
Cleaning bimetallic 10 rubles
The complexity of the procedure for cleaning contaminants of bimetallic coins lies in the composition of the alloy of various metals, each of which needs its own approach. But such a difficult task can be dealt with at home. The main thing is to choose the right tool:
| Used remedy | Application method | Important points |
|---|---|---|
| Toothpaste | Apply a paste on a toothbrush of medium hardness and, under a stream of warm water, clean the surface of the bimetallic coin. | After the procedure, slight tarnishing of the surface may appear, but the cleaning of contaminants is guaranteed. |
| Solution based on alcohol and formic acid | Alcohol solution will return bimetallic coins to their former beauty and glossy shine. Exposure time - 5 minutes. | Dry the coins after the procedure with a cloth towel. |
| Compress from Coca-Cola | Immerse the coins in a container with Coca-Cola and leave it overnight. Remove in the morning, rinse thoroughly and dry. | To achieve the result, repeat the procedure for a week. |
Cleaning nickel and bronze specimens
Self cleaning of nickel coins at home is a simple task when compared with the removal of contaminants from banknotes from other types of metal. There are two ways to help you get things done:
| Used remedy | Application method | Important points |
|---|---|---|
| A solution of salt and table vinegar | Soak coins coated with nickel in a solution of salt and table vinegar. After the procedure, rub the surface with a rubber eraser. | If cleaning does not meet expectations, repeat the procedure. Work with gloves and remove coins from the solution with tweezers. |
| Means "Trilon-B" | Pour the powder into a glass container, pouring it with boiled water. Immerse the coins in the solution. Exposure time depends on the degree of contamination. Keep in the solution until the plaque is completely cleaved. |
Video instructions
The cost of collections of ancient coins is estimated not only by their age, but also by the appearance of each instance. Banknotes, which were stored improperly, accumulate a thick layer of contaminants and oxides. To give the collection a pristine and dignified look, you do not need to buy expensive products or give them for cleaning. It is enough to familiarize yourself with tips and tricks for processing coins using improvised tools. This will allow you to cope with the task yourself at home. To return to the coins the pristine radiance and beauty, to save the collection in a presentable form for posterity, on the shoulder of each.
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