Cleaning coins with electrolysis

Cleaning coins using electrolysis is perhaps the best way of cleaning the dirt and encrustations from your coins.

Electrolysis, at it's most basic level, consists of running an electrical current between two contact points (the anode and cathode) in a salt-solution. This causes a chemical reaction that removes the layers of dirt and encrustation from the coin.

With electrolysis kits becoming more and more affordable (decent ones can be had for under $50) now is the time to start tidying up your collection.

In the previous posting I covered how to build your own kit. You can also find a good overview of the process - as well as another guide on how to build your own electrolysis kit - at Cleaning Silver and Gold Error Coins

This method of cleaning coins should give you the best results in the shortest period of time.

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Cleaning coins by building your own electrolysis kit

Cleaning coins using electrolysis without purchasing a special kit is perfectly possible. In fact, it's very simple indeed to build your own electrolysis setup.

Off Center Errors has a superb online tutorial, with pictures, giving you a step by step guide. The second page also has some great pictures of some Roman coins that were successfully cleaned - with great results! - using this method.

I hope the tutorial gives you the confidence to start cleaning coins using electrolysis.

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Cleaning coins - don't use polish!

When cleaning coins, it's very important not to use polish.

Silver or brass polish - or other polishing agents - are abrasive, and can cause severe damage to copper or silver coins.

This is because polishing actually works by removing the topmost atomic layers of metal and working downwards from there. This means that if you use polishing agents, not only are you removing the patina (potentially damaging the coins value) but that you are also removing metal from the coin itself.

Ideally, you want your coin's metal to stay and the dirt to leave. Otherwise you can end up rubbing away or damaging any imprints, pictures, and text that are on the coin.

As always with cleaning coins, it's important to not only clean the coin, but also preserve it's condition and beauty.

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Cleaning coins by using adhesives

When cleaning coins, you'll often find that that soaking and scrubbing isn't removing as much dirt as you'd like. The next option is using adhesives.

Adhesives? Yes, using adhesives you can literally pull the dirt and encrustations off a coin's surface. It's every effective, although you'll find it's quite time consuming and tedious.

The easy way of doing this is to stick your dirty coin on some packing tape. Make sure the coin is stuck down firmly, then quickly pull it off. Look at the tape - notice all the dirt that just came off? Keep on repeating this until the coin comes off clean.

You may find that your packing tape doesn't quite have "the sticking power" to remove the really stubborn dirt. That's where a glue gun comes in. Put a couple of drops of hot glue on the coin face, and smear it to an even coat.

Once the glue is dry gently peel it off. Keep on repeating this until the glue comes off clean. Although very labour intensive you'll find that the glue method can remove some of the most stubborn and encrusted dirt when cleaning coins.

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No need for cleaning coins with this find

Bizarrely, cleaning coins sometimes isn't necessary - they can be found in good condition.

The BBC reported on a policeman who was searching an unmarked track with his metal detector. He had found some 18th century coins, which were fairly dirty and tarnished.

However, he then found a very good condition Roman coin just 3 inches under the surface. There was no need for coin cleaning - "I did not have to clean it, I just brushed the dirt off it." The coin was valued at £7000 (about $14,000) and was auctioned at Sotheby's later in the year.

The original link to the BBC article can be found here. Occasionally someone does get lucky and avoids the need for cleaning error coins.

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Cleaning coins: starting the process

Starting the process of cleaning coins should begin with sorting your coins. If you're lucky, you'll find that some of your coins need very little cleaning. Store these coins to one side in a separate jar as they're not going to need much work.

Put your coins in one of your jars cover with distilled water. Leave them to soak for an hour or so then pull one out and rub it with you fingers - you should find that some of the dirt has been softened enough to come away. Start using your toothbrush to scrub away at the surface.

Repeat this for all of your coins, rinsing each one in more distilled water and drying carefully with paper towels. Examine each coin under with your magnifying glass. You'll find that some of your coins are pretty clean just from being soaked in the distilled water.

If they are still covered in dirt, then you should try giving them a longer soaking. Cover them up in a clean jar with fresh distilled water, and leave them for several days. Repeat the scrubbing, rinsing, and drying a second time.

Now time for the olive oil: coins that are still encrusted with dirt and corrosion should be covered with oil in a jar with a screw top lid, so that you don’t spill the oil accidentally. Leave your coins soaking in the olive oil for a couple of days. You can pull them out, brush them with the toothbrush and blot with paper towels, and examine them with the magnifying glass. As you remove the dirt, take out the clean coins but return the dirty ones for some more soaking.

As the dirt and corrosion comes off the coins you should start to be able to see images and inscriptions. As the cleaning progresses you'll find that on some coins you can't see anything - you may have to accept that you have a worn-out slug. Handle a coin enough and the images will be rubbed smooth.

Patina is a coating that develops on metal after many years of use, as the metal reacts to the air and the acid on people's skin. Patina can be greenish, brownish, or greyish in colour and many collectors consider it one of the beauties of ancient coins. Coins with excellent patina can be excused for having slightly worn images.

When cleaning coins, it's very important to never do anything to a coin that will remove the patina or change its original colour.

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An introduction to cleaning coins

Cleaning coins is not necessary for every coin you come across, but if you’ve been treasure hunting and have only newly dug up your coins, or you've bought some coins from Ebay, you might want to look into cleaning coins with mud and grit on them.

Before you start cleaning coins in earnest, it's important to understand the sort of condition you'll find them in.

Any coin that still shows traces of its original stamped image will probably grade poor to fair. Coins that have recognisable images and inscriptions will be good to very good to fine or very fine.

Don't be put off when you find coins that have images that are off-centre, contain holes, or show signs of having pieces sawn off. Ancient coins were hand-made using blank discs of metal and special mint dies. A blank was placed on the bottom of the die, covered with the top die and stuck sharply with a hand-held mallet - they were literally 'bashed out'. You can imagine from this process that the less skilful workers would produce sloppy, irregular coins.

Large denomination coins often were made of more precious metals, and so were sometimes cut into smaller pieces to make change. Successive regimes often altered coinage by piercing or re-striking, to change the imprints and form of the coin.

Very often people would make a small cut in a coin to make sure it was solid and not just plated with precious metal.

Bear this tips about coin condition in mind when cleaning coins and you'll have a lot of success!

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