Cleaning spendable coins

[Lesgold]

Hi folks,

I’ve just started in the beach detecting game after owning a NOX for a few years. It was used initially to find a bit of gold but I never really used it for what it was designed for. With the local gold fields badly overgrown, I decided to get my “fever fix” on the local beaches instead. It’s actually a bit of fun and a chance to get outdoors for a couple of hours. Ive found heaps of sinkers (that I will melt down to make snapper leads for boat fishing) and a few predecimals and coppers that I give to the grand kids as “treasure”. (Most are too toasted for anything else) Found a few junky rings and my first gold ring a few days ago. (Just waiting to hear back from some people in the recovery game to see if someone has reported their loss. Would like to get it back to the owner if possible.) Most finds are spendable coins and I’ve been mucking around trying to clean them. I made a tumbler that works quite well and cleans the coins efficiently. About an hour in the tumbler gets them to a point where they look like any coin that you would happily spend in a shop. I would be interested to hear how people clean these coins and their special mixes/ recipes for getting the job done. A few members mentioned methods in the General Chat section that sound quite good. I am sure that there are many ways of getting the job done. What methods do you use?

 

[OzzieAu]

G’day Les, I’d be interested to hear what people suggest as well.
I’ve got about 6 or 7 kilos of 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent pieces just sitting in a bucket of water waiting for some action.
20’s and 50’s clean up quite well on my bench top wire buff wheel, but man that’s too demanding.
I saw your homemade tumbler, so next time the printer karks it, I’ll have a go at making one.

 

[Heatho]

I put mine in the bank coin counting machine. Apart from that tumbling I think gets the best results by far, I don't have one but others results seem to be excellent.

 

[Pro-oz]

When I first started beach detecting, I used to drop my spendable coins into a mixture of cleaning vinegar and Coke a Cola, this takes about a week, put one lot in and take one lot out, the coins come out clean but dull had a little brass wire brush to buff them up. A bit of time spent doing this, but did it for years.

Now have a small Lortone tumbler, with s/steel shot enough water to just cover the shot, a splash of CLR, salt and a bit of dish washing detergent, tumble for 3/4 hour coins come out ready to spend and no buffing.

Cheers

 

[Lesgold]

Hi Ozzie,

I agree with you about the wire brush trick. That would be painful. Picking up an old printer should be an easy task as the blighters don’t seem to last all that well and quickly end up at the recycling centre. Heatho, how do the coins go that are a bit worn? Will the bank counting machine accept them or do they end up as coffee money?

 

[Lesgold]

I’m using basically the same mix with a little splash of vinegar and beach gravel instead of the stainless shot. I reckon the shot would clean the coins quickly.

 

[Heatho]

Hi Ozzie,

I agree with you about the wire brush trick. That would be painful. Picking up an old printer should be an easy task as the blighters don’t seem to last all that well and quickly end up at the recycling centre. Heatho, how do the coins go that are a bit worn? Will the bank counting machine accept them or do they end up as coffee money?

Worn or damaged coins would be rejected but the majority would usually go through ok, often it was over $1000 worth too. Any rejects that were still ok ended up as coffee or beer money. Some counters were better than others too, the wall mounted ones weren't great but the larger ones bolted to the ground are really good. Had a few embarassing malfunctions though where a dodgy coin would jam up the counter. They'd ask where the coins came from and I replied from metal detecting, they'd just shrug their shoulders, sort the machine out and I'd continue on.

 

[FindSumStuff]

What a great suggestion. Have a tumbler. Now it has expanded role. Thanks for sharing everyone.

 

[Gold1hunter]

Hi folks,

I’ve just started in the beach detecting game after owning a NOX for a few years. It was used initially to find a bit of gold but I never really used it for what it was designed for. With the local gold fields badly overgrown, I decided to get my “fever fix” on the local beaches instead. It’s actually a bit of fun and a chance to get outdoors for a couple of hours. Ive found heaps of sinkers (that I will melt down to make snapper leads for boat fishing) and a few predecimals and coppers that I give to the grand kids as “treasure”. (Most are too toasted for anything else) Found a few junky rings and my first gold ring a few days ago. (Just waiting to hear back from some people in the recovery game to see if someone has reported their loss. Would like to get it back to the owner if possible.) Most finds are spendable coins and I’ve been mucking around trying to clean them. I made a tumbler that works quite well and cleans the coins efficiently. About an hour in the tumbler gets them to a point where they look like any coin that you would happily spend in a shop. I would be interested to hear how people clean these coins and their special mixes/ recipes for getting the job done. A few members mentioned methods in the General Chat section that sound quite good. I am sure that there are many ways of getting the job done. What methods do you use?

Get change bags from the bank, bag them up and change them for $50 notes at the bank.
Don't waste your time trying to make them pretty, the banks going to take them out of circulation when they pass through anyway.
You put 'em back in circulation and the bank takes' em back out.

 

[Lesgold]

I agree totally. I want a simple method to clean the coins to make them look acceptable. Not interested in pretty at all. Here is an example of a coin that I found yesterday. I’m not sure that the bank would be knocking on my door to take that one. (Even though it is quite obvious from the photo what it is)

The reality is that quite a few of the older spendable coins that i find look a bit like this one.

 

[TheCollector]

Hmmm... I know my eyesight ain't what it used to be, and I do have a crappy monitor that work was giving away when they downsized the office to go to a 50/50 kinda work from home model, plus I'm not a bank teller - but I can't tell from the photo what that is

It looks similar to a 2 cent coin I found last weekend, but I don't think they are still legal tender

Put me out of my misery please!

 

[Eldorado]

$1 or $2 coin i think.I see a little flash of gold colour there.

 

[Lesgold]

An over toasted $1 coin.

 

[Gold1hunter]

I agree totally. I want a simple method to clean the coins to make them look acceptable. Not interested in pretty at all. Here is an example of a coin that I found yesterday. I’m not sure that the bank would be knocking on my door to take that one. (Even though it is quite obvious from the photo what it is)
View attachment 1314
The reality is that quite a few of the older spendable coins that i find look a bit like this one.

If on inspection it's obvious what it is, the bank has no right to decline as it's still legal tender & you're doing a general service to the reserve, by bagging up the one's that need to be taken out of circulation. The bank will have to send them back to the melting pot. Not your problem really.

 

[Heatho]

If on inspection it's obvious what it is, the bank has no right to decline as it's still legal tender & you're doing a general service to the reserve, by bagging up the one's that need to be taken out of circulation. The bank will have to send them back to the melting pot. Not your problem really.

A teller refused to count my coins one time, the manager came out and said I'd have to fill out a mutilated currency form for each one.... The next day I went to a different branch and ran them through the coin counter.

 

[Mike678]

I take my coins to the NAB . The new coin counter there will accept a lot of coins the older machines would not . It is like an ATM . It will accept them even if they are dirty looking . Yes, I have managed to jam the machine up ....

 

[Heatho]

I take my coins to the NAB . The new coin counter there will accept a lot of coins the older machines would not . It is like an ATM . It will accept them even if they are dirty looking . Yes, I have managed to jam the machine up ....

Commbank Warringah mall, that counter is a beast, dump 5kg in at a time.

 

[Jaros]

My wife took a bin full of 4/10/20/50/1+2dollar coins a few months ago to Stgeorge bank and a healthy $250 was nice.

 

[Gold1hunter]

T

A teller refused to count my coins one time, the manager came out and said I'd have to fill out a mutilated currency form for each one.... The next day I went to a different branch and ran them through the coin counter

That's why I said get the change bags and you have to put the right amount in each, they just weigh them and give you $50 notes

 

[Ramjet]