Black Pennies

I use aquarium gravel. Black sand may equate to black coins maybe

I use aquarium gravel too with water and the pennies come out really nice.

My recipe, which is a combination of suggestions (found on the FMD forum) is as follows (thanks everyone) !

In a 3 pound tumbler tub, I add:

1/2 cup of natural aquarium gravel
2 - 3 drops of Dawn dish washing liquid
2 tablespoons of ammonia
1 handful of clad (1/4 to 1/3 cup)
Water enough to cover the mixture by about 1/2"
Tumble overnight

Note: After filling, I do weigh my tubs, just to make sure they are not overloaded (s/b be 3 lbs or less per tub / yours may be different). I use a Lortone 33-B double tub tumbler, so there's one 3 lb tub for the copper, and one for the clad.

Once the run is complete, I dump the tub, gravel, liquid, and coins, into a large plastic coffee can (Folgers I think), in which I have cut 1/2 holes in the bottom. While holding the can directly over an old window screen, I simply spray the water hose into the can, while swirling the contents around, allowing the gravel to fall out onto the screen, leaving nothing but the cleaned coins in the can. I then dump the coins onto a towel, and set everything else out in the sun to dry, and done. Once the gravel dries, I put it right back into the appropriate tub, ready for the next run.........

That's really impressive.

Mikevet said:

I bought a double barrel tumbler from H F. I am using the black sand that came with it. All clad except most of the pennies coming out clean. I am separating the pennies from the others. Most of the pennies as staying black, some are shinny after 5 hour tumble.
Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

just wondering y you care about black pennies? roll em up and bring em too the bank or coin star em!

Very nice graphical illustration, I like the blue cloth background. Hard to believe they clean up that good in a tumbler.