How to Clean Old Coins

Written by: Daniel Gleich

Cleaning Techniques

When cleaning old coins, the most important thing is to not damage the coin. Also, coins are dirty in different ways: It's not always just dirt that makes a coin look dirty, so it's essential to know a few different cleaning techniques.

Eraser

Slowing rubbing an eraser over a dirty coin can reveal a fresh new finish. This is very labor-intensive, and it's worth it to buy an electric eraser that will last longer and be easier to use than a pencil eraser.

Ketchup

Ketchup can restore the copper glow of a penny. Lightly rub the ketchup into the coin with a soft toothbrush, then rinse off the ketchup. Next, mix baking soda and water into a thick paste and rub this paste over the penny using your fingers.

• Cleaning Copper With Ketchup: Ketchup can be used to clean a variety of copper products.

Vinegar and Salt

Mix vinegar with salt. Place pennies in the solution and let them sit for a while, and then use a clean, soft toothbrush to clean any dirty areas. Rinse the coins, and then polish them with baking soda paste.

Brasso

Brasso is a product available to purchase at big-box and hardware stores that can clean metal. Apply it to dirty coins, and then let the coins sit. Rub dry with a clean paper towel. The towel will turn black as it is rubbed across the coin.

Lemon and Salt

Cover pennies with a mix of lemon juice and salt. After several minutes, remove the coins and wipe them dry.

How to Clean Zinc Pennies

While acidic substances are great for cleaning copper pennies, the composition of a penny changed after 1982, and this will affect how you clean them. Modern pennies are made mostly of zinc, which can turn black when exposed to acid. Instead, start by washing them in a mix of water and gentle soap.

• How to Clean a Copper or Zinc Penny: There are different methods for cleaning copper and zinc coins.

Trisodium Phosphate

Trisodium phosphate (TSP) is one cleaning solution collectors can try on zinc pennies. After soaking them in a mix of warm water and TSP, gently rub the pennies with a scrubbing pad. Then, rinse the pennies again and thoroughly dry the coins.

• The Pros and Cons of Cleaning With TSP: TSP is a very potent cleaner, and care should be taken when using it.

Nevr-Dull

Rub Nevr-Dull polish onto the coin and then buff it with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth. The coin should be quite shiny when you are done.

Kaboom

Kaboom makes even blackened zinc pennies shine like new. Rub a small amount of the paste onto the coin, and then buff out with a white cloth.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Pour undiluted apple cider vinegar into a small, nonreactive container. Drop in one penny at a time. Remove the coin after a minute or so. Follow up with baking soda paste, and then rinse the coin clean before drying with a soft, clean cloth.

Toothpaste

Rub a small amount of toothpaste on the surface of the penny. Wet a soft toothbrush, and make gentle circles over the coin. Rinse the coin while brushing the penny. Dry the penny completely.

Tarn-X

Put on rubber gloves. Pour a small amount of Tarn-X into a plastic container with a lid. Place the coins in the solution and put the lid on the container, then shake it up. Remove the pennies with a spoon, and then thoroughly rinse and dry them.

Goo Gone

Sometimes old coins have debris stuck to them. Goo Gone will remove stuck-on debris, even from the crevices of the penny. Simple rub the solution on the coin, scrub lightly with a soft toothbrush, rinse the coin, and dry with a clean towel.

• Five Big Mistakes You Might Make Using Goo Gone: Goo Gone is very effective, but it's important to understand how to use the product safely.

Cola Technique

Soak the penny in a bowl of cola. The penny should only need to be wiped clean when it's removed from the bowl.

A.1. Sauce

This steak sauce is one of the best cleaners for old pennies. Wipe a little of the sauce across the surface of the penny to clean it.

Wright's Copper Cream

Rub a little of the cream, which is available online and at many major retailers, onto the coin with the sponge that comes packaged with the product. Next, rinse the coin and then polish it with a dry cloth.

Orange Glo Power Paste

Rub the paste onto the penny using a dry sponge. Let the paste work for about two minutes, and then use a cloth to remove the paste from the coin.

Car Wax

Put a small amount of car wax on a clean cloth. Buff the coin with the wax for a shiny, like-new finish.

• What Is Car Wax, and How Often Should You Use It? There are many different kinds (and brands) of car wax.

Rock Tumbler

Fill a rock tumbler with around 200 pennies and add a bit of vinegar. Spin the coins for around three hours. Remove the coins from the spinner, rinse, and dry with a clean cloth.

Brillo or S.O.S. Pad

Some zinc pennies turn green or dark black. Simply wet a Brillo or S.O.S pad and gently rub the pad across the coin, then dry it with a clean cloth. The coin should look new.

Scrubbing Bubbles

Spray the bathroom cleaner on the pennies. If cleaning very dirty pennies, scrub lightly with a soft toothbrush. Otherwise, simply dry the pennies, which should now look like new.

• Three Unusual (But Effective) Scrubbing Bubbles Uses to Try: Restoring coins isn't the only unexpected way to use this cleaning product.

Denture Cleaning Tablets

Soak the pennies in a container with denture cleaner. From time to time, shake the container. It's best to let the pennies soak overnight before rinsing and drying them.

Epsom Salt

Mix Epsom salt with warm water. Immerse the pennies and let them sit in the water for about ten minutes. If the pennies are still dirty, soak them again. Dry them with a soft, clean towel.

Further Reading on Coin Cleaning, Collecting, and More

• Collecting Basics: Getting Started: The U.S. Mint put together this guide on the basics of coin collecting.
• Ten Rules of Successful Coin Collecting: Learning about coins, having a long-term plan, and knowing how to grade the condition of coins are important things for coin collectors to consider.
• Coin Collecting: The Boy Scouts put together this thorough guide to building a coin collection.
• Get Started Collecting Coins: A How-To Guide for the Beginner: Although coin collecting can be a very pricey hobby, it's also possible to get started for very little money.
• Coin Collecting Is Making a Comeback: More and more people are getting into the hobby of coin collecting.
• Coin Collecting Is a Big Business on Social Media: Inflation is one element behind coin collecting's new popularity on social media.
• Coin Collecting: How to Determine the Value of a Coin: The material the coin was made from and where it was produced are two factors in pricing coins.
• How Much Are My Coins Worth? Respected auctioneers Warwick and Warwick published this guide to help people understand the value of their coins.
• Determining the Value and Price of Coins: One important thing for new collectors to understand is the difference between price and value.
• Evaluating Old Coins and Paper Money: There are four types of value: book value, buy price, retail value, and wholesale value. Collectors need to understand what each value represents.
• How Much Are Your Silver Coins Worth? What Are the Most Valuable Silver Coins? Find Out Here! Silver coins can be very valuable.
• Gold and Silver are Worth Investing in: There are many different ways to save for retirement. Investing in gold and silver through a self-directed IRA may be a good option.
• Old and Rare Canadian Coins Worth (a Lot) of Money: Canadian coins are easy to find in the United States, and some are worth a lot of money!
• How to Effectively Clean a Penny and Other Old Coins: It's important to know that not all coins should be cleaned and all cleaning methods should be very gentle.
• Tips for Cleaning Coins: From Dirty and Dull to Clean and Shiny: There are different methods for cleaning dirty versus tarnished coins.
• Coin Care: One easy way to care for coins is to never touch them without wearing gloves.
• Is It Ever OK to Clean Coins? Non-abrasive methods are safer for cleaning coins.