How to clean coins at home from silver, copper, bronze, cupronickel

Cupronickel coins are quite unusual items issued during the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, almost all banknotes from the period 1931-1957, which were found in the mines or found in home bins, have changed their appearance and are difficult to clean. But this does not mean that it is impossible to achieve a decent result. Before trying any of the methods presented below, it is important to understand that it is unlikely that you will be able to clear all coins, and a 100% result is not always possible.

Features of the content of copies

High humidity and exposure to direct ultraviolet radiation are not allowed. Properly storing coins at home means using special organizers. They differ in materials and cost.

Albums. They come with a fixed number of sheets and replaceable ones. Suitable for short-term storage. It is recommended to choose plastic options. PVC albums should be avoided.
Holders. Envelopes made of cardboard with transparent walls. They are stapled or glued to paper. They need to be replaced with new ones twice a year, which is not very convenient.
Envelopes. Popular with newbie collectors. There are paper or plastic. They are easy to use, inexpensive, but need to be changed frequently.
Capsules, weak. The most reliable storage methods, but they are expensive. The products are sealed hermetically. Information about the coin is indicated at the top.
Cases. They are presented in a wide variety, but have a high cost. Provide the highest quality storage conditions. The design includes shelf tablets, and coins are placed in separate cells.

Muntzkabinets are similar to cases. Made from expensive wood. In most cases, they are used not as functional, but as status storage.

Cleaning Rules

Any impact - chemical, mechanical, electrochemical - changes the state of the artifact, sometimes causing irreversible consequences.

Cleansing is a painstaking task

Therefore, before you start cleaning old coins, you should familiarize yourself with the rules:

First, it is determined whether the item needs cleaning. It is better to immediately put ancient specimens whose metal core is damaged into plastic capsules or an album.
Work begins when stains and plaque clearly appear on the surface; dirt obscures the image and threatens the fortune of the ruble.
When choosing a means and processing methods, they look at the metal from which the money is minted.
You should not try to scrub the surface until it shines: not every banknote can withstand such intense load, and shiny change often looks like a tasteless fake.
Do not use a needle or awl to roughly pick off dirt in hard-to-reach areas of the field.
Money should not be cleaned with abrasive powders or aggressive solutions (hydrochloric or nitric acid).

If a novice numismatist does not understand cleaning techniques, it is worth listening to the wise advice of experienced collectors.

Rusty growths are removed from valuable samples without touching the metal

What cannot be affected

You can clean old coins efficiently and quickly if you know what substances and tools should not be used.

Concentrated solutions. It is not recommended to add nitric, acetic, sulfuric or hydrochloric acids in large quantities. They are capable of melting the embossing and design, which will lead to damage to a valuable specimen. It is better to treat with a special product “Asidol” or use “Trilon” powder.
Sandpaper. Dangerous for bronze and copper products, as it destroys the patina. Sandpaper can change the relief of the embossed surface.
Wire brush. Damages the surface of the coin. It is recommended to use brass, with artificial, natural bristles.

Too high temperatures can also destroy metal.

4 more taboos

When looking for a way to polish coins and give them shine and shine, it is important not to overdo it. Careless handling of tools or cleaning agents can lead to damage to precious items. To prevent this from happening, you need to remember four taboos.

Use of strong abrasives. If the coin is valuable, do not use washing powder, soda or other harsh substances for cleaning. This may cause scratches and damage to the pattern.
Boiling damaged products. If there are cracks or signs of corrosion, do not expose the product to high temperatures.
Use of dangerous methods by beginners. If you are not a professional in numismatics, you should not clean coins with electrolysis or harsh chemicals.
Prolonged exposure to cleaning products. If you expose a coin to substances longer than specified in the instructions, this may lead to damage to the structure of the product.

If you are just starting your journey as a numismatist, remember that cleaning coins at home cannot return them to their perfect original appearance. Therefore, if you have valuable specimens on hand, it is important to protect them from darkening and contamination. Before hiding the product in the organizer, thoroughly wipe it with alcohol and lubricate it with Vaseline.

In the period from 1931 to approximately the sixties of the last century, coins were made from a copper-nickel alloy. Over time, such products become covered with a film of oxidation, turning from red to dark brown. Cleaning nickel coins will not help restore them to their original pristine appearance, since it always damages the surface to a certain extent, but it may well make them presentable.

How to Clean Coins: 5 Homemade Solutions

Chemical reagents allow you to clean coins from rust and oxidation. The main components used are acids, baking soda, ammonia, washing powders and soap. Unlike other methods, removing dirt using hydrochloric acid is a labor-intensive process that requires caution. It is imperative to treat with alkali to neutralize the reaction.

Vinegar

Description. This is a fast-acting cleaner for copper coins with black and yellow deposits. The method is suitable only for those specimens that are not of great value. You can add shine to old coins that are not exclusive or rare items. The most convenient option is to put metal money in a 10% vinegar solution. There is another way to get rid of dirt that has accumulated over the years.

Procedure

Add a small pinch of salt to a quarter glass of vinegar. If you need to process a lot of products, then take half a glass of vinegar and 15 g of salt. Stir until all particles dissolve.
Place coins in the solution. We make sure that they do not touch each other. We wait five minutes.
We take it out. If the stains are not removed, then carefully wash them with a brush made of artificial or natural bristles.
Rinse with running water.

Ammonia

Description. A 10% ammonia solution from a pharmacy is suitable. Since it is characterized by a persistent pungent odor, work is carried out in a well-ventilated room. Allows you to clean aluminum bronze coins from pink stains. And also from copper and silver - from green, purple, brown plaque.

Procedure

Pour ammonia into a container. We place the products in it. We turn them periodically. We don’t get it right away and suddenly.
After we have finished removing the dirt, gradually pour water into the solution to reduce its concentration of the active substance. When it becomes weak, take out the metal money and rinse it with water.
You can wipe with a soft cloth or leave to dry.
We repeat the procedure if the copies are not cleared the first time. But we do this only for products that do not have damage, for example, chips or cracks.

Soda

Description. Using soda as the main alkaline product, do not forget that it can negatively affect products. It is recommended to make a weakly concentrated solution and carefully monitor the reaction of the metal. Great for those times when you need to clean silver coins from green deposits.

Procedure

Take a spoonful of baking soda and add a little water to it until a paste forms.
Apply the mixture to the surface of the coins.
We get rid of dirt using a soft brush.

Citric acid

Description. You can clean coins to make them shine using a budget-friendly solution – lemon juice. The solution can have an aggressive effect, so we carefully monitor the reaction.

Procedure

Dilute citric acid in water so that no crystals remain at the bottom.
Place the coins and swap them so that all sides are clear.
Wash with water and dry.

Cleaning bimetallic coins involves using a solution in which a glass of water is mixed with two teaspoons of citric acid. We keep the products in it for no more than ten minutes. Wipe with a soft old toothbrush.

Soapy solution

Description. One of the simplest and cheapest options. In addition, laundry soap is absolutely safe for collectible items.

Procedure

Pour hot water into a container and rub soap into it. We wait until the detergent dissolves.
Place the products into the mixture. Cover the container with something. Leave for two to three days.
We take out the coins and clean them with a soft old toothbrush.

It is acceptable to replace soap with washing powder. But it is effective only for light stains. We immerse metal products in the solution for several hours. Then rinse with water and dry.

What not to do

Before we talk about how to clean copper-nickel coins, it is worth talking about how not to do this, that is, about methods that are useless or unsafe. First of all, you don’t even have to try using such a popular method of cleaning other coin metals as soapy water. In this case we are talking about oxides, which no soap can remove. Vinegar should be mentioned next, since they really manage to dissolve the oxides of this alloy.

But the downside of such a procedure can be very sad; the image of the coin may lose its clarity. And the alloy itself, under the influence of vinegar, tends to acquire a strange, uncharacteristic pinkish color, which in no way increases the value of the coin, and moreover, can render it unsuitable from a collectible point of view.

Methods for silver

For products of low standard, dry cleaning is suitable. They are treated with Trilon B. The solution removes green plaque. More valuable specimens require careful handling. Having decided to polish the coins, we try to process them in such a way that they do not come into contact with each other. After the procedure, be sure to rinse in warm water. Let's consider two non-standard methods.

The water left over after boiling the eggs. Suitable for removing light stains and providing shine. Place the money in warm water and let it sit for a few minutes. In this way you can clean white Soviet coins. The method is gentle and does not cause harm.
Formic acid. We take a 5% solution and put specimens from the collection into it. Afterwards, carefully clean with a soft brush. If this is cleaning USSR coins at home, then the method is effective as it removes traces of oxidation.

Silver coins should not be immersed in hot water or boiling water and then immediately rinsed with cold water.

Hydrochloric acid

From the chemistry course it is known that hydrochloric acid is an effective means for dissolving oxides. You shouldn’t be afraid of this name; analogues of hydrochloric acid are used in the household, in particular, for cleaning toilets (“Toilet duckling”). You can use this remedy by dropping a coin into it, but it is important to maintain the correct time.

If it lies in the “duckling” for several hours, that very unpleasant and uncharacteristic pink tint for which copper is responsible may appear on the metal. It is important to correctly evaluate the initial appearance of the coin. If it is not very damaged and has that same silver-white color, such cleaning can only ruin everything. And, as in the case of table vinegar, the acid can “eat” the reliefs, which is completely undesirable.

GOI paste is another product that is only suitable for inexpensive coins that are not very valuable in terms of rarity. If you have a real rarity in your hands, this method cannot be used. Abrasive particles of the composition will not only erase the patina, but also spoil the relief, its clarity and even small details. In addition, GOI paste tends to give metals an unnatural shine, which is not at all characteristic of metal money that was stamped almost a century ago.

For coppers

The choice of processing method depends on the color of the patina. If it is cherry or brown, then we use an ammonia solution; if it is yellow, we need vinegar; if it is white, we use distilled water. You can clean a copper coin from black deposits at home using two means.

Vaseline oil

Pour oil into the pan. (The standard volume of a bottle is 40 ml. Therefore, we determine the amount of oil based on the number of coins requiring processing).
We put it on fire.
Throw the products into boiling oil and hold them until the coating disappears.
After boiling, cool them and wipe with alcohol.
Dry with a soft cloth.

Peroxide + ammonia

For 200 ml of water, take a teaspoon of ammonia and 30 ml of hydrogen peroxide.
Mix the components and place the coins in the prepared solution for no more than 15 minutes.
Afterwards, gently wipe them with a soft cloth.

Copper coins can be boiled in laundry soap. This is a gentle option that allows you to preserve collectible items without harming them.

Adding shine

When all stains and plaque have been eliminated, you can return the shine to the products. Polishing will help give nickel silver shine. You need to take a flannel cloth or other soft napkin. Apply polishing paste to it and treat the surface.

You can buy ready-made paste or make it yourself from the following ingredients.

Chalk and soap. Chalk powder and soap shavings are combined in a 1:1 ratio. Dilute with water to form a paste.
Chalk and ammonia. One part of chalk and two parts of ammonia solution are mixed to a homogeneous paste. If necessary, dilute with water.
Toothpaste and powder. They can be used either separately or mixed.

After polishing, cupronickel is washed under running water and wiped dry.

What to do to avoid black deposits on cutlery

Use a few simple rules to ensure that cupronickel cutlery always has an impeccable appearance:

store products in zip bags: a convenient lock will completely protect the contents from dust and moisture;
also use tightly closed wooden boxes with a piece of chalk inside to store devices: it will protect the devices from oxidation;
always wipe cupronickel spoons, forks and knives dry;
Wipe your items regularly with a rough woolen or soft flannel cloth or a special cloth for cleaning silver.

The described methods for cleaning cupronickel are effective and not labor-intensive. Each housewife will be able to choose the most suitable one for herself and always keep her cutlery in perfect condition.

From time immemorial, cupronickel cutlery has been considered an invariable attribute of wealthy homes and owners with good taste. The table for invited guests was set with silver items. However, cupronickel does not have the best property - it loses its shine when exposed to moisture. So cleaning knives, forks and spoons, as well as women’s jewelry made from this capricious alloy leaves housewives forced space for “creativity.”

For bronze

The same methods apply to bronze products as for copper ones. Let's look at two more folk methods that have gained popularity among numismatists.

Coca Cola. The drink acts as a dirt solvent. It holds coins for a week. Afterwards they need to be washed in water. Based on the reviews, the results are impressive.
Bath cleaner. We choose products without aggressive components. We lower the products for a maximum of a couple of minutes. Rinse well with water.

You can also clean bronze coins using hyposulfite. A 10% solution is suitable.

Restoration and cleaning of coins of the RSFSR and the USSR from cupronickel using mechanical cleaning

French (French), Moscow, 01/31/2016 16:39

Gennady Gennadievich (smartbibber), Yekaterinburg wrote:

The result is amazing. Is it really just a scraper? And how does the surface quality compare to chemicals?

Yes, Gennady Gennadievich, only a scraper (Burs sharpened on a diamond disk under a magnifying glass in the shape of a triangle is a difficult task, but it is possible) The surface of the coin is, of course, smooth, almost like gloss, which makes it difficult to photograph the coin, because all the light from the flash is reflected in the very coin and the coin turns into a small sun))) Here is an enlarged photograph of this coin... and chemistry is not capable of this, because it destroys and you can bring the coin to evenness in some ways, such as with attachments from a drill, but then the drawing cried, because it will erased/smoothed beyond recognition (the relief will disappear), although in my case it was not without vinegar and salt, because this composition in the right proportion helped me get rid of the dark color of the coin.

clubklad.ru

For cupronickel

In its properties and characteristics, cupronickel is similar to a noble metal, so over time it acquires a black coating and oxidizes. The following methods allow you to restore shine to products without damage.

Dish cleaning powder

We wet the products in water and apply the product to them.
Use a soft sponge to rub the surface on both sides.
Leave for a few minutes and wash off.

Ash

If there is a smoker in the house, then we collect ashes from tobacco products.
Dip the coins in water and sprinkle with ashes.
Leave for 20 minutes and rinse.

Any cleaning of cupronickel coins, like the processing of other metals, requires compliance with safety rules. Don't forget to protect your hands - wear gloves.

And yet vinegar

The vinegar method, with all its “barbaric” essence, is still effective, and in some cases the only possible one. But you should understand that everyone uses all the proposed methods at their own peril and risk. The essence of the method point by point:

Buy a brass brush or sponge.
Take a small non-metallic container and pour vinegar solution into it, based on the proportion of 1 part undiluted acetic acid to 10 parts water. Sufficient liquid depth is 5 mm.
Place a coin in the solution and every 12 hours remove it from there and use a brush to remove all flaking oxides from both sides and the edge. Repeat as many times as the state of the instance requires (usually 3-10 cycles).
Wipe the coin with alcohol and put it in a warm, bright place to dry for several days.

After lying there, the coin will begin to turn gray and lose its shine; this is a natural process. As for scratches, they will not be noticeable visually, since the brush is still soft. But, if you look under magnification, they, of course, will be visible. If the oxides have “eaten” part of the metal, then after they are removed the surface will be unsightly and uneven, like the surface of the moon - nothing can be done about this, because patina is not a coating, but a part of the metal. If drying is poor, rainbow stains may appear on the surface after several months. And one more important detail: vinegar must be of high quality and comply with GOST.

And finally, it must be said that not all copper-nickel coins covered with patina (oxides) need to be cleaned. If the surface of the coin disc is covered with a thin and smooth, so-called noble or cabinet patina, there is no need to remove it. This is an indicator of the age and authenticity of a collector's item.