Cleaning Silver Coins.

[fogrider]

For me, some baking soda and a wet toothbrush does the trick, once I get them home.

I carry a small squirt bottle when I'm hunting so I don't scratch the silver coins. I cringe whenever I see someone wipe a nice old silver coin with their fingers as soon as it comes out of the ground...... 

1938 dime.

 

 

[jim tn]

I don't do anything with mine other then a water rinse when I get home. I, too, have a small bottle that my silver coins go into during the hunt. HH jim tn

[fogrider]

10 hours ago, jim tn said:

I don't do anything with mine other then a water rinse when I get home.

Good point. Some old silver coins with nice patina should be left "as-is". Just a rinse in clean water.

If a silver coin was dropped while in uncirculated condition, I don't mind cleaning it with baking soda and water to remove the surface dirt. 

However, polishing a silver coin with metal polish is "verboten" in my books.

Happy hunting...

[JCR]

My current, most productive site is on lower ground that stays most/wet most of the year. The soil is kind of funky. Fine sand to about 6-8 inches then a gumbo mix clay layer. It gives no/low mineral bars on a detector. Targets are usually right on top of the clay to a few inches into it. Most of the targets including silver coins will be encrusted with hard sandstone like accretion from the water borne minerals. The crust is thick enough to hide all detail.  Copper Cents & Nickels are almost always in poor condition and TID low. The Silver is not too bad if you can get the crust off.

With nothing to really lose I have been experimenting with how to best get them clean.

A small jeweler's hammer will break off some but the remaining is very tenacious. I have found a Navel Jelly soak for 24 hours is the best way to dissolve the crust on the Silver. Jelled Drano(Lye) works okay on the Copper & Nickels.

This is a last choice method but it works if your patient.

[dogodog]

I generally just rinse them in water and that's it. I've found quite a few valuable silver coins and was told by a serious coin collector that you should not clean with anything other than distilled water. Once reasonably clean you need to have it looked at and cleaned further by a professional if they deem it necessary. You can loose 50% or more of a coins value by chemically cleaning it. It might look good to you but a collector will be horrified. Remember there is a grading system for a reason.

[Cal_Cobra]

On 10/8/2022 at 6:34 AM, JCR said:

... I have found a Navel Jelly soak for 24 hours is the best way to dissolve the crust on the Silver. .

Interesting, I've used Naval Jelly to decrust buttons, but haven't tried it on silver.   I'd love to see some before and after examples.  We have a few sites where coins can get crusted up, they're still fun to hunt, but frustrating when you find a semi-key date silver coin and it's all crudded up 🙄

[mn90403]

When we find silver jewelry, you can use one of the several methods of cleaning it using aluminum foil.

We wrap the item in the aluminum and then use baking soda, vinegar and hot water and it transfers the corrosion to the aluminum.  Some pieces actually make a hole in the aluminum.

Here is a video specifically for coins.  There are many.  I don't know if this enhances the value of the coins.

How To Clean Tarnished Silver Coins Shine And Polish Silver Fast And Easy - Bing video