Cleaning/ID

[ags1985]

I'm not familiar with this and am learning, so I'm coming to the folks in the know.

Location: County park
Find: Canadian penny and 5 other coins in immediate area. Crusted coins hit high 70s on Ace 400. It feels like rust texture/hardness, but there was no iron audio. All coins found approximately 4 inches deep in clay type soil.
Images: Included full coin pics for size reference. Looks like 3 are about dime size, 1 at a penny size.
Input requested: Thoughts on cleaning techniques and speculation on what metal they could be?

I appreciate any input and apologize if I'm not asking it correctly. Found my first Wheatie yesterday too - 1952.

 

[KSDirtfisher]

I bet your crusty coins are the new stinkin Zincoln. They are made of zinc & copper plated. They basically dissolve in the ground over time.

 

[ags1985]

I bet your crusty coins are the new stinkin Zincoln. They are made of zinc & copper plated. They basically dissolve in the ground over time.

I could see that being them. It was throwing me for a little loop since those ones on the left pinged in at about 83. I'm guessing if the copper coat is gone that could make them ping in the 70s?

 

[hoser]

I have found quite a few coins in a gray clay type of soil and I have to say it does strange things some of the time. But I do agree the crusty ones are Zincolns.

 

[ags1985]

I have found quite a few coins in a gray clay type of soil and I have to say it does strange things some of the time. But I do agree the crusty ones are Zincolns.

Thanks! I appreciate it!

 

[Sorthious]

If I remember correctly, the Zinc pennies started in 1982; part of that year, I think, was also copper. Just because they don't rust, there are other chemical reactions that occur, and clad coins do not fare well in the soil; pennies being the worst. They are especially bad if you find them in gravel. Once that copper plating has been damaged, and the elements can get in, they don't last long. I've found pennies that are just a few years old and look like they've been in the ground for decades. This is just a guess, but I would think that the lower VDI number could be from the loss of metal in the coin, the depth it was found at, the composition of the coins or a combination of all those factors.

Grats on the Wheatie! As far as cleaning, I normally just use a toothbrush to clean my coins, and I don't use water. Sometimes I'll use a toothpick to remove caked on dirt/clay; just be careful not to scratch up a good coin. As yours are clad, and of no real value, you can try several different things. I've dropped a coin in a small condiment container, added peroxide, then heated in the microwave for about 20secs. I then let it sit there for a few mins. Remove, after it's cooled down, from the peroxide, and see what it looks like. Some of those zinc coins don't really clean up much. If they are horribly pitted, you can't really clean that; I think it's due to the chemical reactions that occur when they sit in the soil; almost bubbles up from the inside. I've read people use lemon juice, vinegar, or anything that is mildly acidic. You can use baking soda as an abrasive to clean the surface of coins and reveal detail. Anyway, just a few ideas. Welcome to the forum and good luck with your hunts!

 

[ags1985]

If I remember correctly, the Zinc pennies started in 1982; part of that year, I think, was also copper. Just because they don't rust, there are other chemical reactions that occur, and clad coins do not fare well in the soil; pennies being the worst. They are especially bad if you find them in gravel. Once that copper plating has been damaged, and the elements can get in, they don't last long. I've found pennies that are just a few years old and look like they've been in the ground for decades. This is just a guess, but I would think that the lower VDI number could be from the loss of metal in the coin, the depth it was found at, the composition of the coins or a combination of all those factors.

Grats on the Wheatie! As far as cleaning, I normally just use a toothbrush to clean my coins, and I don't use water. Sometimes I'll use a toothpick to remove caked on dirt/clay; just be careful not to scratch up a good coin. As yours are clad, and of no real value, you can try several different things. I've dropped a coin in a small condiment container, added peroxide, then heated in the microwave for about 20secs. I then let it sit there for a few mins. Remove, after it's cooled down, from the peroxide, and see what it looks like. Some of those zinc coins don't really clean up much. If they are horribly pitted, you can't really clean that; I think it's due to the chemical reactions that occur when they sit in the soil; almost bubbles up from the inside. I've read people use lemon juice, vinegar, or anything that is mildly acidic. You can use baking soda as an abrasive to clean the surface of coins and reveal detail. Anyway, just a few ideas. Welcome to the forum and good luck with your hunts!

Thanks so much! This is great insight and much appreciated.