How to Restore Indian Head Pennies
Restoration of Indian head pennies, circa 1859 to 1909, may be achieved with a quick cleaning method that is easy and inexpensive. Many options are available for private collectors who wish to restore life to their copper pennies. One should realize that cleaning of coins may do more harm than good, and adequate research on values of coins is recommended before attempting this project.
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Things You'll Need
- Pennies
- Loop or magnifying glass
- Pen
- Notebook
- Vinegar or lemon juice
- Salt
- Glass bowl
- Measuring cup/spoons
- Dish rag or paper towel
- Pencil eraser
- Copper cleaner paste
- Toothbrush
Instructions
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Make sure your pennies are acceptable specimens to restore. Use the magnifying glass or loop to identify all your old pennies, writing down in your notebook dates and any applicable mint marks.
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The local library will be a good resource for finding guides to determine the value of your pennies. The reason for doing this is particularly important; if you should have a rare penny, you should not attempt restoration or cleaning at all. If you do, stop here and contact a professional numismatist. If not, continue to the cleaning process.
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Mix 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 cup of white vinegar into your glass bowl. The acidic properties in the vinegar will eventually eat some of the corrosion from the pennies. Let several pennies sit for a few minutes.
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Rinse pennies in cold water, flushing out the vinegar and salt. Repeat previous step and this step again, or as needed, allowing the pennies to sit for several hours on the last attempt, then flush with water. You should have achieved a 75 percent improvement rate. If not, or for additional cleaning methods, continue on.
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Air dry the pennies on an old dish rag or paper towel.
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A pencil eraser may be used around the edge of the penny or on the surface and works well removing additional debris. Rub gently so as not to remove too much detail, such as the small mint marks on the penny itself. Do not use the white or gray erasers with grit in them or it will damage the penny.
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An optional additional step would be to use a toothbrush and copper cleaner to further clean the pennies and shine them bright. Use with caution; scratching and scuffing may occur.
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Tips & Warnings
Alternatively, products with heavy amounts of natural acid or vinegar in them work well in cleaning pennies. This would include taco sauce, mustard or ketchup.
Do your research to ensure the pennies you are restoring aren't going to be worthless once you restore them. Remember, a rare penny in dirty condition is worth more than one that has been damaged by improper cleaning.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Grinding for Pennies - Wood mortar, pestle & pennies. image by Andy Dean from Fotolia.com
