Father’s Day special, coin cleaning question 1 1

[GBrad]

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads!!  This is a little bit of a different post but I’d like some advice on really making two brown Lincoln’s look shiny new. Just today, as luck would have it, I found a 1929 and a 1937. The 29’ year stopped me in my tracks as that was the first one I have ever found. What was more meaningful to me is that was the birth year of my now late father. Couldn’t help to tear up.....  it wasn’t a minute later when I found the 37’ year cent which was the year my mother was born!!!!! Unbelievable!!! (She is still with us thank the Lord). So...... I want to really shine these suckers up and take them to a jeweler and have them both “mounted” in some fashion or another for my mother to wear them both on a necklace. Obviously these coins will never be sold. I’m curious as to what the best way is of turning them back into a shiny red or as close as possible. Thank!!

[Moxie15]

love them as brown Lincolns. If you can't and decide you must have red ones, please PM me and i will send you my address and I will love them as they are.

NEVER CLEAN A BROWN COPPER COIN! 

I know of no way to bring back the nice shiny red all you will do is ruin it.

[Blue Ridge Collection]

Having trouble with the site 

trying to check on submission can anyone tell me if they are having problems checking on their submission?

[kbbpll]

@Greg Bradford, they're your coins, do what you want. It's not like you're destroying any numismatic treasures. You can easily find simple methods on the ol' interwebs. I just tried vinegar and salt on a half dozen brown pocket change cents. They aren't brown anymore. Now they're kind of pinkish-orange. This was the first time I ever tried anything like this, and the coins are ruined, but I can still spend them exactly as I would have. If you're having them mounted by a jeweler anyway, just have them do it.

[1917]

considering you aren't looking to preserve them for numismatic purpose, I'd check out some you tube videos or something. Most people on here will probably shrink at cleaning coins... actually, some people into ancients might know...

[Greenstang]

If you want to clean copper and not worried about destroying any value they may have,  use Brasso Metal Cleaner. I have used it and it brings copper back to the original shine.

[GBrad]

Excellent info from everyone. Thank you so very much. I know cleaning coins is a “sore subject” in the numismatic community but I just thinking about trying to bring them “back to life”. On second thought, maybe I will just leave them brown so they show their age (like my parents..... lol), good thought. I’ll attach a few pics of the obverse of the coins They are actually in decent shape for their age. Thanks again to everyone for your comments and suggestions.

[VKurtB]

Even the "best" techniques out there will make these coins look horrendous if you try to "brighten them up". Don't do it.

[GBrad]

5 hours ago, VKurtB said:

Even the "best" techniques out there will make these coins look horrendous if you try to "brighten them up". Don't do it.

Yes sir. I’ve decided to just leave them as they are. The more I look at them the better they look to me. Not to mention, I assure you my mother could care less if they were a different color or tone.  It is definitely more of a sentimental thing to her no matter the grade or whether or not they were brown or “ruined red”..... Lol. Thank you. 

[Conder101]

On 6/21/2020 at 8:06 PM, kbbpll said:

If you're having them mounted by a jeweler anyway, just have them do it.

+1  I don't like seeing coins damaged but there are plenty of these and they are probably already well circulated so go ahead.  They will give you more pleasure that was than just as tow common circulated wheat cents.

 

On 6/21/2020 at 10:50 PM, Greg Bradford said:

I just thinking about trying to bring them “back to life”.

That you CAN'T do.  You can make them look worse, you can't make them look better.

Edited June 23, 2020 by Conder101