Cleaning Indian Head with Olive Oil - WOW

catskillcomics · Oct 7, 2009

Last week I found an Indian Head penny and it was pretty dirty and just wouldn't come clean and had no idea what the date was.
So, I decided to let it soak in some Olive oil, after a week of soaking I took a toothpick and started "chipping" away the crud.. I still have a little more work to do but you can see that Olive oil really does the trick loosing up the crud to get it removed.

Cherry Picker · Oct 7, 2009

What a difference! Nice looking Indian Head

mini swinger · Oct 7, 2009

agbkyle · Oct 7, 2009

Wow. That's like night and day. Great job!

devros · Oct 7, 2009

That really does do a nice job, so I guess I can put the grinder away and start using olive oil. LOL thanks for sharing.

Stevo · Oct 9, 2009

Very cool. I'll get into cleaning after the ground freezes. Olive oil is on the list.

Mr.krayola · Oct 9, 2009

WD-40 works awesome also! Me and Mr.finds tried it on his farthing. we sprayed it in a little container till submerged. every hour we took it out and used a pencil eraser on it. Try it sometime. Alot faster than soaking for a week. Ill see if he has any before after pics

traveler3 · Oct 9, 2009

nice looking coin!!

RickO · Oct 16, 2009

Using an eraser on coins of value will destroy any collector value the coin may have. Hairline scratches or any evidence of cleaning (altered color, unusual toning etc) will also be detected by experienced collectors. Soaking in olive oil and NO abrasion to remove crud will work. After a long soak, gently ROLL a Q-tip across the surface or use a rose thorn to remove gunk from details. Hot peroxide will also work. RickO

Homerun04 · Oct 16, 2009

I would not use the toothpick....simply soak it in extra virgin olive oil for as long as necessary, and periodically brush it with a soft bristle toothbrush......

Stang1968 · Oct 16, 2009

RickO said:
Using an eraser on coins of value will destroy any collector value the coin may have. Hairline scratches or any evidence of cleaning (altered color, unusual toning etc) will also be detected by experienced collectors. Soaking in olive oil and NO abrasion to remove crud will work. After a long soak, gently ROLL a Q-tip across the surface or use a rose thorn to remove gunk from details. Hot peroxide will also work. RickO

Since we're talking about erasers and the damage they cause, you should also mention that hot peroxide will ruin the surface of the coin and discolor it too.

Monkeywrangler2 · Dec 3, 2009

What about using those ultrasonic denture cleaner machines? Would that work with water as the media?

KESTREL0222 · Dec 3, 2009

Cleaned up REALLY nice!!!!

JBEXPRESS · Dec 3, 2009

WOW!! Now that is a BIG difference. Great job and nice finds, Congrats!

Vettech101 · Dec 3, 2009

Nice Find and Restoration!

KYshooter · Dec 4, 2009

Stang1968 said:
Since we're talking about erasers and the damage they cause, you should also mention that hot peroxide will ruin the surface of the coin and discolor it too.

You may be right, if it is a perfect condition coin ... which most (old) dug coppers are not.

The hydrogen peroxide that you buy off of the shelf at the store is a very weak solution - only 3%. It may cause a very slight oxidation on the surface of the penny, which generally serves to deepen the petina a bit.

But the most significant reaction that will occur is when the peroxide (H2O2) reacts with the organics, dirt, and bacteria on the surface of the coin. The reaction of ions with the H2O2 produces two products - water (H20) and hydrogen gas (H2) ... thus the bubbles. A few copper ions may be released, but with a 3% solution it will be very few.

Any reaction of the peroxide with the copper is negligible, at best. It can be stopped by washing the coin after hydrogen peroxide cleaning with warm water and soap. Then, a light coating with petroleum jelly will seal the surface of the coin and finish your job.

Bottom line ... old copper coins generally come out of the ground in a pretty nasty condition. Hot hydrogen peroxide is probably the simplest, most effective, and least invasive cleaning method to remove the loose crud and debris and reveal the beautiful surface of the coin.

Geoff

Don · Dec 4, 2009

That's Amazing!!!.......I'll have to remember that!

RickO · Dec 10, 2009

Geoff, good information, however, if you plan on selling the old copper, do not use the petroleum jelly. Collectors of old copper will reject that. RickO

the dj · Dec 12, 2009

cleaning

RickO said:
Using an eraser on coins of value will destroy any collector value the coin may have. Hairline scratches or any evidence of cleaning (altered color, unusual toning etc) will also be detected by experienced collectors. Soaking in olive oil and NO abrasion to remove crud will work. After a long soak, gently ROLL a Q-tip across the surface or use a rose thorn to remove gunk from details. Hot peroxide will also work. RickO

ricko is the man!

Michigan Badger · Dec 15, 2009

Congrats! That one cleaned up nice.

I like how you left some of the patina. The only thing I don't like to see is when some people totally strip their coppers so that they're all pitted and an oddball color.

Soil conditions are what determine the end product.

I have for years experimented with many different cleaning methods and have found that one way doesn't work all the time.

Badger

Cleaning Indian Head with Olive Oil - WOW

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