How to clean a coin at home from dirt and plaque?

Numismatics is a hobby. Sometimes it is necessary to clean and modern coins, soiled for one reason or another. What means to use to remove contaminants, than to remove oxidation? How to clean a coin at home in a safe way and correctly determine the metal from which it is made?

Primary treatment

Start with the removal of dirt. All metals tolerate normal washing. In a container of a suitable size, dilute the soap solution, soak the coins for a few minutes, then clean them with a soft cloth or brush. Pay special attention to the relief elements. Then rinse the products with warm clean water and polish with a dry cloth. These manipulations are not difficult for an amateur collector to do. It is much more difficult to answer the question of how to clean a coin at home, if there are signs of oxidation. It is important to correctly determine the metal from which the product is made. The easiest way is to find an available coin in the catalog and read its description or take it for evaluation to an antique shop.

How to clean an old silver coin?

With noble metal, oxidation traces a good removal of ordinary baking soda. The powder must be soaked to the consistency of a thick slurry and treated with this mass by the surface of the coin. If the silver is low, it is not difficult to remove the plaque yourself. Immerse the product in pure lemon juice and leave for a couple of hours. How to clean a coin at home if the silver sample is higher than the 625th? There are several reliable ways. You can use ammonia, zilbertaushbader or acid fixer. All these substances are used in the form of solutions. The fabric is placed on the bottom of the container, coins are put on it and filled with an active compound. After a while, all products must be turned over, in the end rinse with clean water. Giving brilliance to silver coins is possible with the help of tooth powder.

How to clean a coin at home, if it is made of copper, zinc or iron?

Copper products, covered with a specific greenish coating, it is almost impossible to restore to the original look on their own. Such an education is called "medyanka", and only professional restorers in the laboratory can cope with it. If you do not know how to clean the old copper coin from dirt and give it a shine, try to soak it in vinegar. The solution of this substance should not be stronger than 10%. Immerse the products in a container and soak in the liquid for a while.

Coins of iron and zinc are cleaned with hydrochloric acid. This operation is also not always easy to perform at home. If you still decide, be sure to use personal protective equipment and monitor the processing time of metals. The algorithm is simple. Coins are soaked in acid, then the plaque is peeled off with a stiff brush. Finally, the products are rinsed in clean water and polished with a cloth. Please note that collectors are not allowed to clean coins from all types of pollution. Some types of plaque, on the contrary, are considered noble and it is for them that the age of the object is determined.