Cleaning-recycling coins 1875 style 0

[RWB]

Cleanliness of circulating coins was of considerable importance to the Treasury Department. The general public was becoming increasingly aware of "germs" and the presence of dirt on coins and paper currency gave rise to several operational changes in the Treasury. The first centered on attempts by the Mints and Sub-treasuries to wash or clean circulating coins, then return them to commerce. The second came from banks and businesses who were under public pressure to pay out only new or shiny coins. The latter caused a "run" on the Mints for new coins during the 4th quarter of each year. In some years, the Philadelphia Mint was ordered to strike small quantities of new silver and small-denomination gold coins solely to satisfy "new coins only" demands of banking customers.

This letter and its reply show the attention paid by the Philadelphia Mint in cleaning minor coins for reissue. I doubt the methods would be approved by today's numismatists, but in 1875 it helped reduce the need for new minor coins. (Hence - low mintages...)

Office of U.S. Assistant Treasurer
Boston, Mass.
December 3, 1875
Hon. James Pollock
Superintendent U.S. Mint
Philadelphia, Pa.
Sir,
If consistent with the public interest, please inform me what solution is used at the Mint for cleaning five cent nickel coins when stained or soiled, and also what solution is used for cleaning the one cent pieces.

The purpose of my inquiry is to see if it will be practicable to clean in this office the numerous soiled minor coins which I am obliged daily to receive.
Very Respectfully,
F. Haveu, Jr.
Assistant Treasurer, U.S.
[Pencil note on reverse:]
December 6, 1875
We dip momentarily in aqua fortis, and then finish by a dip in pure nitric acid, the moment it is finished the pieces are thrown into water containing a mere trace of sulphuric [sic] acid. They can be kept almost any length of time in this acidulated water without tarnishing. They are then wiped dry and revolved in a wheel in masses to give them a little polish.
James C. Booth, M&R
modurn purificandi inventor

[RG104 E-1 Box 102. Digitized by Newman Numismatic Portal - NNP]

Edited November 25, 2020 by RWB
Fix formatting - as usual

[numisport]

So these cleaned nickels could be described as fresh from the mint (a second time). 

[Just Bob]

My chemistry is a little rusty, but I assume "aqua fortis" is commercial nitric acid, around 60 - 70%, and "pure nitric acid" is Fuming nitric acid, around 98-99%. But, doesn't silver dissolve in nitric acid? I though that was how Silver Nitrate and Silver Fulminate were made.

And then they revolved them in a wheel (after wiping them dry) to "give them a little polish." Yikes!

[RWB]

The original writer was referring to bronze cents, and copper-nickel 3-cent and 5-cent pieces.

Use of this method on bronze cents would have been counterproductive. Copper dissolves in HNO3 within minutes. I suspect that Dr Booth, the Melter & Refiner, was referring only to copper-nickel coins, and never got around to bronze cleaning.

Weak sulfuric acid was used to clean ("whiten") planchets just before striking. Possibly that or ordinary soap was used n cents.

[Woods020]

RWB,

This is fascinating so thanks for posting. So how do TPGs account for this? Is this forever a “cleaned coin”?

[RWB]

30 minutes ago, Woods020 said:

RWB,

This is fascinating so thanks for posting. So how do TPGs account for this? Is this forever a “cleaned coin”?

The coins that were cleaned had already been in circulation for a while - possibly a decade. I suspect they were roughly equivalent to 10 year old Jefferson nickels in circulation today, although possibly dirtier and more worn from intense use. Seems likely that any nickels and 3c surviving until 1990 were probably further worn and cleaning would not be identifiable by TPGs. But....since no one is presently looking for this kind of cleaning residue, maybe we have seen it but not recognized it.

[Just Bob]

5 hours ago, RWB said:

The original writer was referring to bronze cents, and copper-nickel 3-cent and 5-cent pieces.

Use of this method on bronze cents would have been counterproductive. Copper dissolves in HNO3 within minutes. I suspect that Dr Booth, the Melter & Refiner, was referring only to copper-nickel coins, and never got around to bronze cleaning.

Weak sulfuric acid was used to clean ("whiten") planchets just before striking. Possibly that or ordinary soap was used n cents.

Yeah, my post was not very well thought out. Although the writer specifically asked about "five cent nickel coins" and "one cent pieces," I guess I assumed the reply was about the method used to clean all coins.

So, is there any record of what was used to clean silver?

[RWB]

22 minutes ago, Just Bob said:

So, is there any record of what was used to clean silver?

Weak sulfuric acid and mild soap. Then a couple of water rinses and tumble in hardwood sawdust or ground corncob. Not a fixed or universal formula, but was the one used in Philadelphia. (See From Mine to Mint for other variations.)

Nothing mentioned about gold coins. I therefore presume they were recoined if too dirty. The Mint Bureau was very touchy about gold coin appearance and recoined pieces that were marked up/abraded but of good weight. (Example. In Dec 1875 the Assistant Treasurer in New Orleans sent $339,713 in legal weight, but slightly abraded gold coins to Philadelphia for recoinage. They ended up weighing each coin, then mixing them with others at main Treasury in Washington, but that fact of shipping over $300k because it was "rough" tells us a lot about acceptance of gold coin by commercial users and banks.)

Edited November 26, 2020 by RWB

[Henri Charriere]

[This must be the positive side to "money laundering" we seldom hear about.)  😉

[RWB]

Comptroller of the Currency and Treasurer of the US had washing machines for paper currency n the early 20th century. Lots of popular newspaper features are available. There is a modern "Dirty Jobs" show about a luxury hotel in NYC that until recently had an internal coin washing/cleaning department.

[Episode 158, Season 4 January 3, 2012. "Water Softener Technician." Maintenance on water softening basin at municipal water treatment plant in Moorhead, Minnesota, cleaning coins at Westin, St. Francis Hotel.]