I have a coin that is tarnished and I would like it to be shiny again. I am not worried about it's value as a collectors item or anything. It's just regular old 50 cent piece that I would like to clean up.
By Jess from Hillsboro, OR
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Baking soda moistened and a soft cloth. Or use purchased tarnish clean from the store.
1) MAAZ Metal Polishing Creme
Nickel plating is cheap and therefore tarnishes very easily. There are several different methods to choose from when looking to clean and polish nickel plating or nickel-plated finishes.
First, try soaking the nickel plating overnight in a water and vinegar mixture or solution (Create a water and vinegar solution that is in the following ratio: 4:1, this means, for every one part vinegar, you add four parts water. Example: One cup of vinegar and four cups of water)
Second, pick-up oven cleaner and a soft cloth and spray a little of the oven cleaner on your nickel plated finish.
Third, WD40 and steel wool works great if there is just a little tarnish (or green color) showing on your nickel plating.
Four, pick up nickel polish and use the nickel polish to shine your item. Nickel polish often comes in a can with cotton wads. The cotton is used as the cleaning material along with the nickel polish.
Five, take a ride to the grocery store and pick up pure household ammonia (not a mix or a house hold cleaner, you need pure ammonia). Immerse the nickel plating or nickel-plated item directly into the ammonia (do not dilute the ammonia). Let item sit for no more than five (5) minutes. Any longer may cause damage to your nickel plated item.
Try soaking the coin in ketchup for a few minutes then clean with soft cloth, repeat process until desired shine is reached.
Depending on the coin's silver content, there are several ways of cleaning it. If it has any silver in it at all, I'd just stick to tooth paste...not the gel, and an old toothbrush. If it doesn't contain silver, but you just want to make it shiny enough for the "tooth fairy" for instance, then just use any of the methods mentioned.
Just plain old apple cider vinegar and baking soda paste works very well too.
Good Luck.
Pookarina
I was also going to suggest toothpaste (not the gel type).
Go over the coin with an eraser and then cover with ketchup for a few hours, you will definitely be surprised.
This will clean the coin but doing so will take away any real value if you are considering selling it at a later time.
I agree with Deeli. Toothpaste should get it clean. I use it to clean my jewelry, also.
Even if you don't care that much about its value, toothpaste might be a little too abrasive & wear down the engraving. The best thing is Hagerty's silver polish, a dab on a soft moist cloth, then rinse in plain water. If it is silver, it will tarnish again, unless you have it coated with something that retards tarnish.
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