Featured A Little Question on How to Clean A Small Coin?

My Copper Jenny Lind coin (at least I think she's copper!) got put in a safe deposit box by accident or whatever! Before that she was nice and crisp.......NOT SO MUCH NOW.....asking @daveydempsey or whoever else can maybe suggest what to soak her in go get off that which is around the edges of her before it gets any worse.....it's not a value thing.....I just really LIKE her!!! And what looks a bit like 'green' looks like it's movable.....so if you can help, I'd REALLY appreciate it!!! Thank you in advance!!! Here she is!!

​

 

It WAS nice and clean when I first got ot from my Mom....probably back in the 80's, and somehow wound up in the SD box maybe 15 or so years ago.....neither she nor I ever coated it with anything....don't know where she got it, but at one time Mom was collecting Jenny Lind stuff....which is how I wound up with it.....Thanks Davey, will try the V olive oil!! I just got a new Galaxy phone and am having the DEVIL of a time making it stay focused to get a clear image.....

 

The general rule with collectible coins and medals is warm water and a soft cloth--and not too much vigor with the cloth (it will neve be mint again, so what damage is done is done, alas). Now, if there isn't any value in it, and it's just for your own ejoyment, try the oil, vinegar, or a little bit of metal polish--just make sure you don't scratch or overpolish the surfaces--they blur easier than you'd think.

 

Extra virgin olive oil is a standard when cleaning bronze or copper coins. Soak for a few days and then brush with a cut down toothbrush. Wipe clean and then soak in distilled water. Again attack with a toothbrush. When you're satisfied, soak with fresh distilled water to remove any vestiges of the oil's acid and wipe with a soft cloth.

Your coin is in great shape and shouldn't take much effort, only time. Using oil or distilled water on this coin will be fine. Always use fresh liquid for each soak.

I use primarily distilled water when cleaning Roman bronze coins, but that will take weeks/months as I allow each soak for 3-7 days. Because the water is distilled, it leeches the mineralization slowly.

If the coin has serious bronze disease, mix a little baking soda and washing soda into the distilled water during the cleaning process. Helps arrest bronze disease in the future.

This common Roman bronze looked like a flat skipping stone with no detail when I bought it. Took 3 months, but here's the results using olive oil and distilled water. Full disclosure - I also used a dental pick, stereo microscope and brass brush.

 

Thank you @daveydempsey and @Jon L, so far it's a bit better....hoping what I'm seeing isn't permanent....if it is, well then it is....but it's only a few days....will give it more time with the olive oil then the distilled water....still hopeful!!!

 

Patience, above all, is the secret to successful coin restoration. If you're oil soaking, you can use a toothpick (wooden or plastic) without risk on this coin.

 

Go to your camera app. The app defaults to photo. Tap the word More. Then tap the word Macro. Enjoy!

 

Tried that.....I have a new Galaxy A42 5G.....'more' brings up a screen with a bunch of choices, but Macro isn't one of them.....when I figure out how to get a screenshot on it....I'll show you.....but thanks for trying.....I can usually figure most of this stuff out....but this is driving me NUTZ!!!!

 

@daveydempsey plus others, So I was ready to return the Phone, when I discovered I can go up to 10X, (since I don't have Macro on mine) but that's doesn't get the clearest shot either, but at least it's STEADY.....Not sure if it was @Jon L who posted about stacking books and resting the phone on top for a close-up, but it turns out GREAT IDEA....MUCH STEADIER!!!! SO NOW, I think my FINAL QUESTION.....DH came home with a big bottle of "SMART WATER"....'distilled, ionized with electrolites for taste....alkaline & 9+ph' .....whatever the heck all that means.....ALL I asked for was Distilled Water......can I soak the coin in this OR NOT, PLEASE???? (Otherwise we'll just drink it and I'LL go find JUST Distilled Water!!! And thank you for your patience AND HELP!!!!

 

Best to get just plain deionized water.

Correction - so sorry, I meant distilled.

 

Distilled water is the best water for cleaning, not drinking.