My home burned down, in the basenment I kept old coins in a bucket. Now the bucket is full of coins, ash, gunk, and all stuck together. What is the best way to clean up my coins without damaging them ? They are a mix of copper and silver and a few gold ones.
2006-08-31 07:53:31 · 7 answers · asked by travlin 2 in Games & Recreation ➔ Hobbies & Crafts
hi
oxy clean will have them looking new im a few minutes cxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
2006-08-31 08:17:33 · answer #1 · answered by amber1234 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd urge you to contact an expert to get this question answered! The other answers you've already gotten, vinegar and baking soda, are potentially dangerous for silver and copper coins. If you mix vinegar and baking soda, the acidity is reduced by the soda, and essentially you wind up with salty water (salts being more than NaCl).
If these coins are valuable, as I suspect silver and gold ones to be, adding vinegar may easily damage them.
2006-08-31 15:01:55 · answer #2 · answered by xraytech 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't clean them. If they are real valuable they will need to be sent to NCS. Numismatic conservation services ( www.NCScoin.com ) The gold coins would be the easiest to do, for gold can even stand up to salt water corrosion. Silver and copper hate vinegar or any acid, for it eats the metal away and causes pits. Olive oil is used to clean ancient coins but it takes a long time to work and will usually not damage copper or silver. You really need profession help here, get in touch with NCS.
2006-08-31 17:57:53 · answer #3 · answered by Taiping 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Copper-lemon juice
The silver and gold, try finding a specialty cleaner or jewerly cleaners especially for those metals.
Before doing any of it though, ask an expert! They may know something more gentle to use that will work better. :)
2006-08-31 15:54:49 · answer #4 · answered by Annieo 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Try just a little vinegar.
2006-08-31 14:58:01 · answer #5 · answered by naute_girl 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
baking soda and vinegar
2006-08-31 14:58:14 · answer #6 · answered by angelpockets 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO ASK THIS QUESTION ON YAHOO,THE TRULY "BEST WAY" ---FOR YOU,TO CLEAN COINS IS---"DON'T !!!"
2006-08-31 15:01:51 · answer #7 · answered by LONG-JOHN 7 · 1⤊ 4⤋