GillyWI
Elite Member
Hi all, this is my second detecting year (2013 was) and have a lot more clad this year due to experience, better weather than 2012, and I think a better machine plus a propointer to help.
So I have all my clad seperated out and am also sorting the zinc out from the copper cents.
I probably will just turn everything in to the bank that I can, even the copper cents as i don't really see the sense in hoarding them, even though it has crossed my mind.
The zincs, some are OK, like the ones found on the ground or just below the grass blades. Some are pretty toasted, last year I used them in my trucks change holder, my morning McDs coffee is $1.06 so used a nickel and a toasted zincoln to get the 6 cents, never had a problem.
So without a tumbler, I have a few ideas for cleaning, some of which I think worked fine last year.
For the zincolns, I think I can get away with just hot water and a bit of soap, put in a mason jar and shake it up a few minutes and call it good enough to get some of the dirt particles and dust off them, I know you can't do too much to them, but this year it will help to seperate them because last year some of my "silver" clads got pretty tarnished or stained by the zincs, although I was using harsher chemicals, not realize just how bad zincs can get.
The copper cents I think hot water and maybe some soap and also some white vinegar to help clean them a bit better.
Not sure how to clean nickels.
Dimes and quarters I think I can clean together, last year I used Lime Away on them straight then a hot water flush and looked fine, this year I have way too many to do like this, we'd be talking a total of 660 or so quarters and dimes, so hoping a solution of hot water and Lime Away or CLR will do the job. I can pick out ant nice-looking ground find dimes and quarters to reduce the total, I did find some nice ones that were just laying on the ground, I'm sure everyone gets these.
So I have all my clad seperated out and am also sorting the zinc out from the copper cents.
I probably will just turn everything in to the bank that I can, even the copper cents as i don't really see the sense in hoarding them, even though it has crossed my mind.
The zincs, some are OK, like the ones found on the ground or just below the grass blades. Some are pretty toasted, last year I used them in my trucks change holder, my morning McDs coffee is $1.06 so used a nickel and a toasted zincoln to get the 6 cents, never had a problem.
So without a tumbler, I have a few ideas for cleaning, some of which I think worked fine last year.
For the zincolns, I think I can get away with just hot water and a bit of soap, put in a mason jar and shake it up a few minutes and call it good enough to get some of the dirt particles and dust off them, I know you can't do too much to them, but this year it will help to seperate them because last year some of my "silver" clads got pretty tarnished or stained by the zincs, although I was using harsher chemicals, not realize just how bad zincs can get.
The copper cents I think hot water and maybe some soap and also some white vinegar to help clean them a bit better.
Not sure how to clean nickels.
Dimes and quarters I think I can clean together, last year I used Lime Away on them straight then a hot water flush and looked fine, this year I have way too many to do like this, we'd be talking a total of 660 or so quarters and dimes, so hoping a solution of hot water and Lime Away or CLR will do the job. I can pick out ant nice-looking ground find dimes and quarters to reduce the total, I did find some nice ones that were just laying on the ground, I'm sure everyone gets these.
What's the purpose of holding on to it, just to see it add up? Not bashing you, just curious. 
