Colorado tax token cleaning question

[old-raven]

I was out earlier today finding this and that when I stumbled upon a tax token at 8" or so. It was buried in tough clay and while I was able to wash all that off it still has some crud stuck to it. I attacked it with a pick which worked some but it threatened to scratch up the aluminum so I stopped. I've got it soaking in isopropyl but I don't know if that'll work at all. I'm tempted to try vinegar but I wanna consult with you guys first. How should I clean this thing up? It's straight aluminum and so the metal is pretty soft. Any suggestions?

 

[bottlecap4u]

If the last 2 pics are how it is now, it’s fine now. With aluminum, I’ve tried lemon juice.

 

[old-raven]

If the last 2 pics are how it is now, it’s fine now. With aluminum, I’ve tried lemon juice.

Oh no, heavens no. The second two pics are how it would have originally looked. I was able to clean it up somewhat with baking soda and a toothbrush but it's a crusty critter. It's fine, I can see it well enough in the light. It served its function in terms of helping to date a spot I've been exploring.

 

[hoser]

Aluminum is a toughie. Cool find BTW.

 

[HungryGhost]

I’ve had my best results using a homemade electrolysis device with aluminum tokens. You can get instructions on YouTube on how to make one. You can also make a paste of baking soda and water and rub it with your fingers. Good luck.

 

[old-raven]

I'm not 100% sure that what's caked onto the token is even corrosion. Part of the token has suffered some minor damage due to corrosion but aluminum corrodes white, the stuff on the token is a reddish brown deposit that flakes off with application of the pick. It almost looks like some kind of adhesive or resin. No idea, baking soda was able to remove some of it but I'm fearful of getting too aggressive with it. I may just leave it as is or try a soak in acetone to see if that can cut the crud.

 

[old-raven]

Aluminum is a toughie. Cool find BTW.

Thanks! I'm not a big collector of coinage but I'll take it. It was an important thing to find because I could pin a date on it and that date confirms my suspicions about other, somewhat more ambiguous objects from the place. Doubtless I'll find other objects that will help to date the deposit, my guess is that there's older stuff at deeper layers. I'm gonna need a digging/pry bar to deal with that clay

 

[Ken Clad]

There is a speciality cleaning chemical called "Aluma Brite" especially for aluminum. It's expensive, but it works like a champ!

 

[markinswpa]

double ought steel wool and a good liquid cleaner wax. I use Zymol.

 

[Jamflicker]

Soak it in lemon juice over night then clean with a little baking soda. It's never going to look like the original but it's the best way to clean aluminum tokens.

 

[old-raven]

I may try boiling it in water to see if the deposit softens up. Whatever that is on there doesn't look much like aluminum corrosion and where I picked it off it revealed bright aluminum finish underneath without pitting. It may be fossilized organic goo possibly from the time it was thrown away. Old glue possibly, maybe ancient food particles that have become like concretions over the decades. It's also possible that it's baked on clay, it came out of clay and it appears the location was subject to burning so it's plausible. I'll boil it tonight and see if that crud softens...