How To Clean Your Silver Coins - Cleaning Advice From A Numismatist | Metal Detecting Finds
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- čas přidán 28. 07. 2024
- Hello everyone and welcome back to the hammered corner. In today’s video, I tell you how to clean your hammered coins whilst comparing 3 coins that have been cleaned in the past, ranking them from best to worst, and looking at how you may be ruining the history you find. Links to all video playlists are down below!
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Please note that adding soap to the water is optional, depending on the condition of the coin. Many just soak in hot water, then dab dry! Completely up to you! 😃
Do you use distilled water?
@@naelaismail3052 usually, though you can use de-ironised water if you need to clean them
Very well said. It is about time someone voiced their opinion on "lemon juice" and "electrolysis" cleaning methods. I have heard of tin coins ruined by electrolysis where the copper slug has fallen out. DO NOT OVER CLEAN COINS. Save the excitement until you get home after a gentle wash rather than a field clean. Thank you.
Thanks Warren! Yes I agree, too many videos out there displaying incorrect methods that can lead to thousands of coins being ruined. Gentle clean in hot water is all they need. ⭐️
An excellent video, which clearly explains what to do (and not to do) with your coins. I’ve now enjoyed watching a few of your very informative Hammered Corner videos - so keep up the good work!
Thank you very much Anthony!
Very interesting and informative, thanks.
That's the video I've been waiting for, thanks. Great advice and delivered with clarity and earnest! I have to confess I did the foil and spit thing on a Henry III penny and quickly realised I'd overdone it. I'd like to post a link to this on a couple of detecting FB groups - hope that's OK with you.
Thanks matey. Yes of course, share away!
Thank you for the advise much appreciated.
You’re welcome mate!
Epic video mate and very informative, I cleaned my first hammy in lemon juice and it ruined it, haven’t cleaned 1 since and leave them as I find them now 👍🏻
Thanks Matt! Yes those acidic cleaning methods destroy coins 😢
I couldn’t agree more! But sometimes a silver coin has a crust and is unidentifiable. So you just have to use more aggressive methods. If it is a rare or possibly a beautiful coin than I’ll give it a professional cleaning. But silver patina’s grow back in a few years if the coin isn’t cleaned too much. Good video! 👍
Thanks matey!
Excellent video
Thank you Luke for you good advice on cleaning hammered coins. Len
Very welcome mate!
The problem with leaving the dark patina is that it hides 90 percent of the details. Also many coins come out of the ground with very different colour and thickness of oxide or concretion across the same coin. Not cleaning the coin makes it worthless. It is best to leave the low areas of the coin with a light patina to highlight the details. Some coins can be transformed to be 99 percent readable with magically restored detail by cleaning properly. There are many coins online which are too good to be true!! People are forging old coins to sell online. Beware!
Thank you to newbie a great bit of info
You’re welcome! Welcome to the channel 👋
Would you recommend the same method for coins that are made of base metals?
(Also I’ve heard people advise against using certain types of soaps, do you know what to avoid in a soap to clean coins?)
Thanks in advance, pretty interesting video :)
Thank you for sharing your expert advise. Really helpful.
On another note, could you pls share from where did you buy / get the beautiful wooden coin tray-box?
Of course, here is a link to the website 😊 www.coincabinets.com
As a detectorist it breaks my heart to see others rubbing on their lovely coins but most of the time, especially on ploughed fields the coins have been rolled around in the soil and are quite battered anyway so doesn't matter as much. I have been doing a lot of pasture recently and they have come out in fantastic condition and all they get is a water wash. Great video and great advice, it is hard to get through to some people though when their argument is that it is their coin and they can do what they like with it 🤷♂
Totally agree man, some detectorists are very stubborn unfortunately! So jealous you get to find the coins, the best feeling in the world!
@@TheHammeredCorner Gotta get through all the junk first though 😂 it is a very slow way of collecting. I used to collect coins when I was young, I will have to dig them out and see if I had anything good, probably not though 😂 I can see myself getting back into it again after watching your videos 👍
@@VintageParagonUk very rewarding though man, saves your bank balance too unless you spend lots on detector equipment 🤣 get started man!! Do it 😄
Excellent advice and thank you. Quick question. I have an Edward VI silver shilling found on the beach. I've learnt that it actually contains hardly any silver, but the coin is jet black. Any ideas on how to give it a bit of life? Thanks Luke.
Hey Mate. Thank you. If it’s a first issue shilling then they’re incredibly debased, and the dark toning will be corrosion from the environment reacting with the base metal. Copper will almost also come out the ground in bad condition, as found with old Gorgian pennies. So I wouldn’t touch it mate, as you’ll run the risk of scrubbing all of the surface away! Scare coins to find too!
@@TheHammeredCorner Awesome. It is first issue. I will leave it be. Thanks for the advice.
I have polished almost all my silver coins too much, silver also often has thick deposits here in my country, but my gold coins have only been cleaned with distilled water. (all excavated finds in clay soil) To be honest, I prefer a shiny coin than a thick layer tax on it, I'm not selling anything anyway.
Would you advise against using an ultrasonic bath with warm soapy water?
Hey Andy, I haven’t ever used one nor have I seen the results, but I would say I would advice against it, as the experts on the numismatic Facebook groups only advise water / soapy water and dabbing dry! Hope this helps 😃
Had several coins that stayed black after warm soapy water. Then what?
I've always pondered about a ultrasonic cleaner? It would shift all the dirt on the coin but if done in water would leave all the patina
I've seen coins damaged by this method in the past. I wouldn't use it on anything having some age or value.
@@MrDifferentusername thanks for letting me know this I was going to give it a try but don't think I will now...
what is your view on this method..when i find a collectable coin...silver milled or hammered...i usually leave them in the clod...and i use my water spray on them and i never rub the surfaces...however sometimes the coins we find come out of the soil absolutely gleaming, a case in mind is my recent 2 ReAl Spanish coin, (see the video on my page) i have around 50 Hammered coins and i only ever wash under warm running tap water..and that's it ! also i have a Charles 2nd 2 pence that came out shining bright, i am not perfect as i have a few that i found in my starting days of detecting that gave more than a vigorous rub too...well done on the video...very good and welcome advice...take care GL&HH Gordon.
Hey mate, thanks for your comment! Yes spraying with water or rinsing is good, it’s mostly about the rubbing that tends to ruin them. But your methods of just rinsing sound great. You’re right, some of them come out the ground gleaming, thinks it’s to do with how they react with the environment. I’ll check out your videos and have a gander 😃👍
Tap water can discolour silver. Use distilled or deionised water.
How to…..don’t
Exactly 😂