Safely Clean Valuable Steel Pennies, The steel penny consists of a steel coated with Zinc. They are prone to rust and corrode when improperly stored or advanced in age. Coin collecting is a significant venture. However, some require cleaning.
Steel pennies are hard to clean because of rust and corrosion. The coin experts report that cleaning the collectible coins devalues them. Therefore, if you’re looking forward to reselling them, you should highly consider the method as it is a delicate, risky process.
This piece focuses on the safe and natural ways to clean a steel penny. Let’s dive into the details.
Table of Contents
How to Clean A Steel Penny: Various Methods
Using Ketchup/Tabasco Sauce
Place enough ketchup in the cup to cover the penny, although you may be able to smell the ketchup when the process completes, while Tabasco leaves an orange tint though they will be clean.
Secondly, place the coin for 3 minutes, and use a toothbrush to scrub the penny, working into the little ridges.
Finally, wash the coin off in hot water, including the toothbrush. In case your pennies are clean but not shiny, rub a mixture of baking soda and water into the pennies, wash them off, and tada!
Using Vinegar and Salt
First, put 1 tsp (5g) of salt into1/4c (2oz) of vinegar and one tablespoon (15g) of salt in ½ cup (4oz) of vinegar if the coins are many. Stir the mixture until the salt dissolves.
Alternatively, you can use lemon or orange juice as copper oxide on your pennies dissolves in weak acid.
Second, put your pennies in the vinegar or the lemon juice, ensuring they’re not on top of each other.
Third, allow your penny in the mixture for around 5 minutes, depending on the quantity you’re cleaning. The dirtier and more the pennies are, the more time you’ll give.
Use a scraper or toothbrush to scrub bad pennies after soaking in a solution.
Fourth, remove the pennies out, and wash them off. Let them dry for about five minutes for them to sparkle.
Failure to wash leads to development of a blue-green sheen (malachite), a combination of copper, oxygen, and chlorine.
Using Coca-Cola
First, get a can or bottle of Coca-Cola or something similar.
Second, set the pennies in a dish, so they are not sitting on each other for the acid to reach each penny directly.
Third, pour enough Coca-Cola into the dish to cover the pennies.
Fourth, allow them to sit for 4-5 hours and flip over when halfway through the process for perfect results.
Finally, take the pennies out and wash them with hot water
Use of Olive Oil
Olive is a gentle cleanser when used correctly and when it is close to being neutral on the pH scale. Due to the slight fatty acidity, grime will be removed from the surface of steel pennies and keep the zinc coating intact. This option is the safest but not compelling.
First, lay down a lint-free cloth.
Second, soak the steel penny in an olive oil bath for 2-3 minutes
Third, dip a cotton swab or soft rag into the olive oil
Fourth, roll the cotton swab across the surface of the steel penny
Fifth, ensure you don’t scrub
Sixth, remove excess olive oil from the with extra swabs and
Leave a light, thin coating to help protect the steel from corrosion if any is susceptible underneath the Zinc
Use of Distilled Water
Safely Clean Valuable Steel Pennies option is affordable and a simple way to clean your old steel penny. Immerse the penny in distilled water. This hack is the safest way to clean your steel coin than olive. Even though tap water is safe, it might cause corrosion and stick to distilled water.
Soak them overnight, and in the morning, take them out of the water and dry them using a soft cloth or cotton swabs.
How Do You Clean Steel Pennies Without Damaging Them?
The safest and most straightforward method is to soak a steel penny in olive oil for many minutes, remove the penny and apply a cotton swab to the surface to absorb the oil leaving behind a shiny steel surface.
Which Method of Cleaning a Steel Penny keeps Its Value?
Using Lemon Juice
- Get the solution of 2 parts juice, and 1 part filtered water
- Soak the coins for 3-4 hours
- Check the progress by delicately removing the residue with your finger but ensure you have your protective gloves on.
- If necessary, let the coins soak for a few more years.
How to Identify Steel Penny and Worth?
Safely Clean Valuable Steel Pennies is crucial to understand that the 1943 penny is popular among coin collectors. World War II resulted in the requisitioning of copper for another essential thing. From 1943 going ahead, the steel penny has risen. It has a zinc coating.
To identify 1943, check Lincoln’s head on one side and the date (1943); on the other side, there is the wheat design used in older pennies, not forgetting its unique silver color. In addition, a steel penny sticks to the magnet like the refrigerator.
Note: the easiest way to determine a 1943 penny
How Much Is It Worth?
The steel penny is standard, with the 1943 penny not worth much. As per the USA Coin Book, a steel penny from 1943 in the circulated condition is worth between 16 cents and 53 cents, and in pristine, its sale in the uncirculated condition can be $1000
Take Away
- Understanding the coil’s composition will help you determine the best option.
- During the cleaning process, ensure you wear gloves and use cotton
- As a result of galvanizing, the coin penny’s edges lack coating, which in turn exposes it to moisture resulting in rust
- Magnet is the only way you can test a steel coin
- Steel penny values at about 45 cents
The steel penny is a significant coin in American history, even though it is not worth much nowadays. However, it can be a great addition to any coin collection and is unique compared to its competitors. Ensure you clean your steel pennies correctly to make an excellent conversation centerpiece. Use the multiple ways shared to clean a steel penny.
