how do you clean old pennies?

Answer 1

vinegar i think you could lemon jiuce i dont think that will work vinegar is better

Answer 2

Personally I would not clean them at all before taking them to be appraised.
BUT, as grand mother with class room experiments in mind it is a different story.
Take the pennies and put them in a jar, then cover them with vinegar and salt.
Put the cover on the jar and shake well for a few minutes.
Remove the pennies and rinse them with clean water to stop the reaction.
The pennies should look like they were just minted no matter how old they really are.

Answer 3

Most collectors I've talked to suggest cleaning pennies by soaking them in ketchup because it will not harm the copper luster. If you're very brave you can try putting it in vinegar with a layer of salt on top but this has been known to destroy pennies.

Answer 4

As they said earlier, if a collectible coin, clean sparingly with care. But if just a bottle full of pennies from loose change, then Wright's Copper Cleaner from either a grocer or hardware store. It is similar to Comet or Ajax, but is specifically designed for copper.

Answer 5

Cleaning old coins can decrease their value if they are collectable. If you want to clean copper pennies that aren't highly collectable place 1 tsp of cream of Tartar in a cup of water. Stir it up until it disolves and then place the pennies in the solution. Watch them until they reach the level of cleanliness that you want and then you should rinse them twice in clean running water and dry them thoroughly.

Answer 6

If you are a collector or you want to sell them as coins DON'T clean them whatever you do. It takes value away. Rub some pure linseed oil on your fingers and then rub the coin. This puts a nice, non-damaging shine on them. A slight degree of verdigris can be removed with a soft brush and a soft hand. Best to get the oil from a pharmacist, expensive but good.

Answer 7

I got this idea for silver but use it on all different kinds of metals. Tin foil (shiny side up) in a small pot of about 2 inches of water. Add 1-2 teaspoons of baking soda and let come to a boil then drop in item(s) and let boil 2-3 mins, rinse with cool water then remove from pot and rub with clean dry cloth.

Answer 8

Coca-Cola will clean pennies. Just imagine what it does to your stomach :\ :\

Answer 9

If you want to completely clean them to where they look new (and they are not collectables), use silver polish. They'll look brand new.

Answer 10

coke right out the can left over night