angellionel
Elite Member
I finally had some time to clean the half dollars I found this weekend. They were deeply tarnished with a heavy sulfide coating. Aside from a soak in ammonia, to remove rust and any other stains, I used a method I read about some time ago to reduce the sulfide coating. It's often used to remove tarnish from silverware. I've included it below in case anyone is interested in trying it on badly tarnished silver.
This is what they look like now:
And here they are when they were still tarnished:
The method:
You will need baking soda, distilled water, and a 5X4 aluminum plate, or at least one that is small enough to fit in a glass dish. I used heavy-duty aluminum foil, but it is a bit hard to use. If using heavy-duty aluminum foil, it is important that it not be crinkled, as this tends to leave unsightly lines on a coin. It also has to be changed after each use.
Place the aluminum plate in the dish and lay the coin(s) on top of the plate. Add two tablespoons of baking soda to one quart of very hot water. Mix in well. Now pour the water into the dish, making sure the aluminum plate and coin(s) are fully submerged. Allow the coin to soak for 10 minutes.
If the tarnish is not fully removed after 10 minutes, repeat the procedure outlined above. Repeat all steps until all tarnish is removed or you're satisfied with the result. Wash the cleaned coin with distilled water and pat dry with a cotton towel. Avoid any rubbing motion!
It might take a few tries on a heavily stained coin, but it does work well.
Angel
This is what they look like now:
And here they are when they were still tarnished:
The method:
You will need baking soda, distilled water, and a 5X4 aluminum plate, or at least one that is small enough to fit in a glass dish. I used heavy-duty aluminum foil, but it is a bit hard to use. If using heavy-duty aluminum foil, it is important that it not be crinkled, as this tends to leave unsightly lines on a coin. It also has to be changed after each use.
Place the aluminum plate in the dish and lay the coin(s) on top of the plate. Add two tablespoons of baking soda to one quart of very hot water. Mix in well. Now pour the water into the dish, making sure the aluminum plate and coin(s) are fully submerged. Allow the coin to soak for 10 minutes.
If the tarnish is not fully removed after 10 minutes, repeat the procedure outlined above. Repeat all steps until all tarnish is removed or you're satisfied with the result. Wash the cleaned coin with distilled water and pat dry with a cotton towel. Avoid any rubbing motion!
It might take a few tries on a heavily stained coin, but it does work well.
Angel