Best way to clean crusted wheats?

spenglure

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Jan 11, 2017
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Lately I’ve been finding a lot of wheats in wet sand. The beach I’m hunting is a on fresh water lake. The wheats are encrusted in solidified sand. Almost like natural concrete. I can’t seem to get the sand to break apart, even in hot peroxide baths. The coins underneath seem to be in good shape, just can’t get the crud off. Any suggestions?
 
I used to do a LOT of dirt hunting......what i found is.....WHY was i doing a lot with these pennies that unless they were rare werent worth two cents. So why was i saving them? I guess because they were old and not stinken Lincolns. Coin collecting has gotten to be to much of a money making business and they expect perfection....... which most coins dug arent.

I just started tumbling them. Some of the OLDER coins like IHs had different metals and what i found were if cleaned..... they pitted or got this wierd redness to them. Mineral OIL would bring back their more natural color and wasnt corrosive like Olive oil.
 
I used to do a LOT of dirt hunting......what i found is.....WHY was i doing a lot with these pennies that unless they were rare werent worth two cents. So why was i saving them? I guess because they were old and not stinken Lincolns. Coin collecting has gotten to be to much of a money making business and they expect perfection....... which most coins dug arent.

I just started tumbling them. Some of the OLDER coins like IHs had different metals and what i found were if cleaned..... they pitted or got this wierd redness to them. Mineral OIL would bring back their more natural color and wasnt corrosive like Olive oil.

Good points. I haven’t tried tumbling. I just want to make sure I can read the dates as I log all my old finds. These won’t be worth anything to a collector but I just like wheat pennies. Wheats with a bunch of crud on them are not as cool to look at, lol.
 
I tumble my wheats in aquarium gravel and a squirt of Dawn. The come out as best as can be expected. Like mentioned keep the IH's out of it, never had much luck tumbling them and that always seem to comes out worse then when they went in.
 
Sign of a treasure hunter....... got to see that date, clean it up...... and put it away.:lol: Must be the challenge...... and surprise that keeps us out there.
 
This has probably already been covered but I just wanted to add that if tumbling your coins be sure to separate the copper coins from the silver colored ones or the copper turns the silver ones red.
 
I tumble my wheats in aquarium gravel and a squirt of Dawn. The come out as best as can be expected. Like mentioned keep the IH's out of it, never had much luck tumbling them and that always seem to comes out worse then when they went in.

Thanks! How long (hours) do you tumble?
 
I also tumble mine in aquarium gravel and a mix of CLR and water. Works wonders even though CLR recommends it not be used on copper. Most
Coins come out looking like new just give them good rinse. Also only tumble copper with copper never mixing clad with copper.
 
It is best to crunch them asap for the crust is very easy to remove then. I'll dig them then just rub the edge on the sifter or scoop and this starts the process.
 
I also tumble mine in aquarium gravel and a mix of CLR and water. Works wonders even though CLR recommends it not be used on copper. Most
Coins come out looking like new just give them good rinse. Also only tumble copper with copper never mixing clad with copper.

What ratio of water to CLR do you use and how long do you tumble them?
 
Lately I’ve been finding a lot of wheats in wet sand. The beach I’m hunting is a on fresh water lake. The wheats are encrusted in solidified sand. Almost like natural concrete. I can’t seem to get the sand to break apart, even in hot peroxide baths. The coins underneath seem to be in good shape, just can’t get the crud off. Any suggestions?

It is best to crunch them asap for the crust is very easy to remove then. I'll dig them then just rub the edge on the sifter or scoop and this starts the process.

OBN, I do much of the same but I bub them lightly on the concrete dive and it removes the largest parts.
 
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