Help to clean wheat pennies

If I know they're not worth anything, I take a stiff brass brush to them. Some take a hard scrubbing, but most come clean pretty easily.
 
Typically, I tumble mine with aquarium gravel and a little water and dish soap.
Many of them turn out a bit purple, some come out nice.
Common bulk wheats are worth a few cents ea., that's the only reason I keep 'em.
 
If you think it could ever be of any value or are putting in a collectiong, then do not use any of the above methods. It will render the coin worthless. If you seriously want to preserve them in the best condition and value possible then there really is only one method thats 100 percent safe. That is using distilled water and very very light brush or tooth pick to remove any dirt. you want to leave the patina. You soak in distilled water over night then light brush or pick and then repeat the soak over night with new water. ONLY DISTILLED. these soaks on coins sometimes can take weeks depending on mineralization. its a lengthy method but 100 percent safe if your careful. all methods previously mentioned ruin any value that coin may have had.
 
Unfortunately most dug wheat cents are not worth anything above face value unless they're in really nice condition or are rare. Most of mine get cashed in with all the other clads I dig.
 
Tumbler from harbor freight, aquarium gravel and some dish soap, just enough water to cover the gravel and let tumble 8 to twelve hours

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Unfortunately most dug wheat cents are not worth anything above face value unless they're in really nice condition or are rare. Most of mine get cashed in with all the other clads I dig.
Whoa! Send 'em to me - even my LCS who lowballs, is paying 2-3X face on any common wheats!
 
I'll use a dab of lemon juice, they aren't worth much.
But it's fun to see how many I can snag/season.

Wheats are more like a "coin decoy" when hunting for older coins in the dirt.
They give me the clues as to the age & human activity
of the area where I'm hunting.
 
The Only Correct Answer

If you think it could ever be of any value or are putting in a collectiong, then do not use any of the above methods. It will render the coin worthless. If you seriously want to preserve them in the best condition and value possible then there really is only one method thats 100 percent safe. That is using distilled water and very very light brush or tooth pick to remove any dirt. you want to leave the patina. You soak in distilled water over night then light brush or pick and then repeat the soak over night with new water. ONLY DISTILLED. these soaks on coins sometimes can take weeks depending on mineralization. its a lengthy method but 100 percent safe if your careful. all methods previously mentioned ruin any value that coin may have had.

This is the only correct answer in this thread. Beat up your clad if you wish but protect the rest as described above.
 
This is the only correct answer in this thread. Beat up your clad if you wish but protect the rest as described above.
I doubt that common wheats will ever become more valuable than common clad, at least not in our lifetime. But who knows?
 
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