Cleaning the Ancient Coins!

"The cleaning of the coins..... "

(please click on thumbnails for a bigger picture)

Here we are with coins in hand! Let's get to the cleaning part.

STEP 1. FIRST WASH

Put the coins in a bowl with hot water and dish soap. Don't be afraid to swish them around a bit to try to get off the loose dirt. I usually let them soak for about 15 minutes or so then take them out one by one, use the toothbrush to clean them off (obverse and reverse), rinse them with clean water, then set them on paper towels to dry.

** NOTE ** Make sure if you work over the sink that you have something to prevent the coins from going down the drain, you wouldn't want to lose them already!!!

STEP 2. SEPARATE THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY

Now that you have the dried coins just sitting there, time to weed out the bad ones and the culls. Take out the obvious culls, broken coins and coins that will not show any detail and put them separate from the others. DON'T DISCARD THEM!!! These inferior coins are good to practice cleaning on!!!

STEP 3. HOT GLUE METHOD!!!

For those of you that are going to use this, pick out the coins you want to get some of the dirt off, and go for it!

** Drawback ** Although the Glue is a great way to get off excess dirt, it can also remove the patina from the coin, expose pits and flaws or take off silvering. Be VERY CAREFUL!!!

1. Use High-temp glue - The lo-temp glue will leave a film on the coin and not take much off.

2. Don't let it sit for more than 5 minutes - the longer the glue sets, the harder it will be to take off the coin, and the possibility to take some of the coins finish off too (or break a roman coin like I did, grrrrrr....).

3. Wait to the glue gets a milky color - this is about 3 - 4 minutes. You don't want to touch it to early or you will burn your little fingers. It will peel off real nicely at 4 minutes.

4. Only do 1 side at a time - just easier that way and you don't have to struggle to get the coin free, especially if both sides meet.

5. If a film gets on the coin - What I have been doing is soaking the coin in skin-so-soft for about 1/2 an hour or so. The glue will come right off after that either with a toothpick or Q-tip!

6. DON'T take it down too far!!! - If it is just clad that you are going to spend, no biggie, but a good coin with crust or an ancient coin with crust, only go so far than do the olive oil thing or the Distilled water.

There is really no difference in the cleaning of coins using either method. Choose the one that is best for you!

1. For those coins that obviously need to soak, get a little container or bowl, put the coins in it, then pour enough olive oil or distilled water to cover them.

2. Let the coins sit in the olive oil for a couple days, I normally wait at least 3, then dump them into a strainer (over the sink or another bowl) and let the oil run off them. Running hot water over them when they are in the strainer helps some also. If using the Distilled water, change the water every morning or night for a couple days, like the 3 days for the oil, then strain them.

3. Fill a bowl 3/4 of the way with as hot as you can water, mix in a tablespoon of the TSP, then put the coins in the water for about 15 minutes. This will remove the oil from the coins and loosen some of the dirt. ** Not necessary if you are using distilled water, but wouldn't hurt to do it! **

These are the coins after 5 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes respectively in the TSP

4. After 15 minutes or so, dump the coins back into the strainer (which you have cleaned of the oil) and give them a good fresh water rinse to get off any film that the TSP might have left.

5. You can do the toothbrush cleaning again then set them on a paper towel to dry. To see how to clean them using the picks and such, go to STEP 5!

6. For those that still need to soak, even after the STEP 5 cleaning or just the brushing here, put the coins in a container and pour fresh olive oil or distilled water on them, then repeat #2 above!

** Drawback ** You can seriously damage a coin if you don't take your time. It takes time to get the knack of it so practice, practice, practice!!! Be VERY CAREFUL!!!

1. For this I use the following items: Large mounted magnifying glass, high-powered light, pins and picks, Mat and nonslip liner.

2. Unless the coins are very heavily encrusted, you really do not want to put any substantial pressure on the coin, as far as with a pin or pick.

3. Lightly go over the top of the coin in places where there is dirt build up, you will be surprised to see stuff coming off the coin, but don't get to "over zealous" with the cleaning. I try to clean the coin from one direction to the bottom of the coin, then turn it 90 degrees and do like a cross hatch. This will further loosen the dirt on the coin. Pick the coin up, rub it between you fingers and thumb, and start cleaning it again. Do this until you get down to the patina or get as much dirt off as you can.

4. When you are done cleaning the coin to the best you can, put it back in the olive oil or distilled water for a couple more days if needed.

5. Some of the coins will clean right up and be done! Others might just need a little more cleaning or the hot glue thing to get the last bit of dirt off.

6. The goal here is to get a presentable coin, not get every last bit of everything off it, sometimes you just have to quit the cleaning and seal it!

This is a coin during and after scraping with a needle.

STEP 6. ATTRIBUTION

Refer to the first page of the tutorial for info on ID'ing the coins. There are the 2 links at the bottom of the page for this!!!.

STEP 7. THE FINISHING TOUCH

After you have the coin cleaned the way you want it, it is up to you how you seal it, or display it. I use the Blue Ribbon coin cleaner and preserver on my coins then seal them up in the appropriate 2x2's. I have seen necklaces and broaches made as well as rings and charms. Put them in a book and display them!

I will be adding more things as I take the pictures and perfect the cleaning process. This should get you started for now!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!

~ Chiz

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