How Can I Clean Burnt Coins?
An individual can clean burnt coins by using hot water, foil, washing soda and a glass dish. Professional cleaning is best, but cleaning can be done at home if necessary. It also may be best to sell valuable coins without cleaning, as cleaning may cause damage and lessen the value.
If the coins were in plastic casings, the remainder of the casings should be carefully removed. Any other non-coin material on the coins that resulted from the fire should be removed with caution.
An individual can clean any coin metal by using hot water, aluminum foil, good-quality washing soda and a shallow, glass dish. The individual should fill the glass container with hot water, flatten the piece of aluminum foil and place it on the bottom of the dish. A pencil or other object can be used to push the foil flat against the dish.
The individual then adds the coins, ensuring that the coins do not touch each other. The coins should also be of the same metal. Two or three heaping tablespoons of washing soda can then be stirred into the water. The mixture should begin foaming.
The individual should let the mixture sit until it is room temperature, then pour out the water and remove the coin without directly touching with fingers. The coin can be dried by gently dabbing it, in order to avoid adding abrasions. The cleaned coins should be placed in protective sleeves or casings.
It is important not to use any abrasive materials to clean coins. Most metal polishes contain abrasives, so these do not work well for cleaning.
