dont clean your coins!!!

[gn1090ss]

I have seen this so many times now.I also dabble in coin buying and selling and today I get a call from my friend who has relation with some coins...We set up a meeting and my heart just breaks.this nice lady had cleaned all her coins with what looked like a brillo pad!!!I know i am boring all of you but I need to vent somehow!!if she wouldnt have cleaned them like that she was looking at around 800 bucks.I just didnt have the heart to let her know all the coins were basically relegated to just junk silver value. Please if you have anything of what you might think is valuable just leave them alone.Also please do research yourself,as to value,there are many sharks who make a lot of moulah on the unsuspecting public.

 

[DavzGN]

Any ideas on what you can do with old 1850's copper coins to clean them up??

HTH
David

 

[XLR8]

I have some unc silver from the 1930's, 40's & 50's. Some of the coins have red and green tints to them. Any ideas?

 

[S2V6RACER]

Send them all to Tony Dequick. He has a quick turn around time.

 

[gn1090ss]

yes to all but the last the copper coins shouldnt be touched unless they are corroded real bad.if they look as they have been in the ground or have a sticky like feel GENTLY with your thumb you can wipe them clean but some early coppers are worth some desent money and best left alone...however if the green is there they have probably already got some porosity...as for the silver toning is a sign of originality and can substatialy increace value.....now if they are mint state you can buy a silver dip..not polish to take the toning off...however if you overdip you are alctually taking metal off the coin..granted only a few atoms at a time but it can be overdipped...leave them alone....wow already 245 views...i have noticed on ebay alot of car guys are also coin guys...and girls!!

 

[gn1090ss]

since its real cold this time of year I will give values to your holdings if you fellas want....not a big 1000 coin inventory on here but i will do a few...if you need more you can e-mail me at gn1090ss@aol.com....gotta save that bandwitdth!!!!!!!!

 

[HellOnWheels]

Originally posted by gn1090ss
since its real cold this time of year I will give values to your holdings if you fellas want....not a big 1000 coin inventory on here but i will do a few...if you need more you can e-mail me at gn1090ss@aol.com....gotta save that bandwitdth!!!!!!!!

gn1090SS

There is a man out there by the name of John Hueffman that buys/sell/collects coins, that some years ago came to my house to buy some American silver coins that I had and did in fact sell quite a few to him, I then showed him a Canadian collection that I was saving and building for my grand daughters college education if she so desired. He offered to appraise it for me and I let him take the collection with him, well the LOW DOWN THIEVING BASTARD stole the collection. I did call him a number of times over a 3-5 month period and everytime he was going to be coming my way in another week or so but never came.

I've since found out he has moved out of this state to somewhere on the east coast but so far haven't find out where. God knows if I ever find out where he is (wherever that may be) he will be more than glad to return the coins to me after we have a little chat.

If you do by chance run across him or even hear about him I sure will appreciate your help in me finding him, and if you know him tell him I'm coming.....

Thanks,

 

[gn1090ss]

i SURE WILL!!! do you have an email of the guy or his hometown...I travel to major shows sporadicaly and will take note...also there is a website that has links to coin forums...do a search for pcgs coins and follow the links

 

[HellOnWheels]

Originally posted by gn1090ss
i SURE WILL!!! do you have an email of the guy or his hometown...I travel to major shows sporadicaly and will take note...also there is a website that has links to coin forums...do a search for pcgs coins and follow the links

Okay, and I appreciate your help. I have one of his business cards somewhere and if I can't find it there are a couple coin dealers in Little Rock, Arkansas, that knew him, I'll contact them for more information.

 

[MeanBuicks]

Originally posted by gn1090ss
...wow already 245 views...i have noticed on ebay alot of car guys are also coin guys...and girls!!

I too enjoy coins and have a fair number but I'm having a lot of fun right now building my collection of Topps Wacky Packages stickers. Remember those folks?

 

[VADER]

Someone once told me olive oil, ever hear of that to clean coins?

I had those Wacky stickers, they rereleased them in the early 90s if im not mistaken.

 

[gn1090ss]

olive oil,vineger,soap and water....yes but still not recomended!!

 

[QuickWrench]

I use one of these tumblers (see below) quite often on small brass, copper, steel, (etc.) pieces. My father's an avid coin guy, and we've done several of his in the unit. The important thing is that you use some nice, soft walnut shell media. It takes anywhere from 6 - 24 hours to do them nicely, but d@mn...they come out like brand new stampings, and I've never damaged a coin.

The walnut media really isn't abrasive at all, so it won't damage, disfigure, scratch, or scrape the coins.

Link: http://mrgameroom3.homestead.com/kENS3.HTML

The guy who puts these out is kind of a nerdy pinball guy, but he's good people and VERY knowledgeable on tumbling delicate parts, since he deals in vintage pinball machines.

Also, IMHO, there's no better way that I've ever found to restore little metal pieces on cars than Ken's tumbler. Things like temp sensors, brass oil fittings, etc. come out like new. Plus, the walnut media is dirt cheap: about a buck a pound at any pet store, since they sell it as bird cage lining.

I wonder...do any of you guys think there's a market out there for coin restoration and sealing? Lemme know...

 

[gn1090ss]

nice results...however it is still a form of burnishing and surfaces of a coin of will not be considered restored after this process...I own a 1793 flowing hair wreath cent that went through burnishing probably 80 plus years ago and major certification companies wont certify it at its details grade...it always comes back as a net grade{lower numerical grade} than the details show.because of the burnishing...Im not upset I picked up a coin with great details at 2500 below what details grade would be...

 

[Vector]

HellOnWheels - Private Message...

 

[DavzGN]

Originally posted by gn1090ss
yes to all but the last the copper coins shouldnt be touched unless they are corroded real bad.if they look as they have been in the ground or have a sticky like feel GENTLY with your thumb you can wipe them clean but some early coppers are worth some desent money and best left alone...however if the green is there they have probably already got some porosity

Yeah they were in the ground for many years and came to the surface after our topsoil was put back in place around our new home.
My wife found 2 Indianhead large cents in our yard one last spring and the other in the spring of 02. I think they are from 1854 and 1856, or possibly 1855. They are very corroded, and hard to read, we can barely make out the year. We would like to clean them up just to make them look nicer as the probably have little value in their current condition. Our lot includes the sight of several old mill factories from the 1850's thru 1870's. We're hoping to borrow a metal detector and go over most of our property just to see what we might find.

Thanks
David

 

[Vector]

HellOnWheels - PM....

 

[Little6pack]

Same for your antiques.

More damage can be done on items if is not done the proper way.

 

[WINDMILL]

coins

If you are going to handle any coins you should wash your hands,to take the oil of your hand. It will turn any coins colors,or tarnish them.

 

[dhjenkins]

How can I safely clean 2000 yr old roman coins?

If they're so dirty that I can't even see bare metal, is there any reason to be cautious? Can there be anything under all the dirt and corrosion worth being careful with?

TIA