Dipping Coins

[bigmanSAM88]

What, in your opinion, is the best coin dipping product on the market?

 

I am looking to use it to remove some light hazing on some proof coins if that makes any difference in which product is better.

[JKK]

I'm curious about this as well. I have an AU Morgan that my folks bought me as a child. It was once a really attractive coin with lots of mint lustre. Well, I wasn't involved in the hobby much for many years, and when I got back into it, I found that this Morgan had been 'toned' (probably messed up by the circa 1971 coin flip's plastic) to a nauseating half-used motor oil colour. Think motor oil after 2500 miles.

 

A part of me is willing to dip it, figuring that its appearance now is so hideous it's not much above junk silver anyway (1880-S, very common date). The mentality I learned as a youth still says "Never ever clean coins, ever, ever, whatever the flaws the coin has are nothing compared to those you will impose upon it the minute you attempt to fix them." And I'm not entirely sure everyone else would think the toning is as ugly as I do.

 

I really don't know what I should do with this old childhood gift. If I thought dipping it was a good idea, I might try it. That would be the first time I had ever, in my life, attempted to clean a collectible coin. The idea feels like losing one's virginity.

[TomB]

Many folks use E-Z-Est, which had previously been marketed under the name Jeweluster. I do not dip coins, but I see no harm in dipping off haze, if you do not like the eye appeal, from modern proof coinage. Oddly, I find the haze that is generated on the Brown Pack Ikes to be quite attractive, in certain ways, though few others would agree.

 

JKK, I would advise you stronly not to dip your AU Morgan. To begin with, AU coinage that is dipped often looks wrong or funky. The flow lines that cause luster have already been impaired from circulation and a dip will remove more of them. This can cause the coin to have a dull, flat or lifeless look after the dip. Also, if the coin has turned the dark brown color that you write about, then a dip will likely not remove all the toning since the layer of oxidation will be fairly thick. This can result in a coin with an off-yellow color, think bodily fluid, which no one finds attractive. If your Morgan dollar bothers you that much I would suggest you sell it and use the proceeds to buy a coin that pleases you more.

[Stanley]

Post some images.

 

About the dip…If you are trying to make it shinny all you are going to do is ruin it.

[bsshog40]

I have found the need to dip some Sacs that have a hazing coating over them. I used the jewel luster. It works great. For something like a haze, I just dip for about 3 seconds. It doesn't take much. I have tried to remove haze from a proof coin, but it doesn't seem to have any effect on it. It will clean older coins, but you do have to be careful. Just about 3 seconds a shot will show you what it is doing. Too much, and you will remove any luster from a coin.

[JKK]

JKK, I would advise you stronly not to dip your AU Morgan. To begin with, AU coinage that is dipped often looks wrong or funky. The flow lines that cause luster have already been impaired from circulation and a dip will remove more of them. This can cause the coin to have a dull, flat or lifeless look after the dip. Also, if the coin has turned the dark brown color that you write about, then a dip will likely not remove all the toning since the layer of oxidation will be fairly thick. This can result in a coin with an off-yellow color, think bodily fluid, which no one finds attractive. If your Morgan dollar bothers you that much I would suggest you sell it and use the proceeds to buy a coin that pleases you more.

See, that's what worries me. Dipping a coin, for me, is like running into a dark cave with absolutely no light. I don't have the faintest idea what I'm doing or what I'll get.

 

I just went back and examined the coin more closely. It is absolutely amazing the way the memory can play tricks on one. When I was sorting through a batch of much more attractive Morgans, I found this one and thought it looked like used oil. I basically put it where I wouldn't have to see it, because I so disliked the idea that my youthful storage ignorance had harmed it. Now I take a fresh look at it, and while I still do not like the look of it, it's more of a clean oil colour. Basically it's just not shiny like it once was, and my mind was so shocked I imagined it worse than reality.

 

I'll try and scan it so you can see what I'm talking about. Might have to do it later, after baseball practice and mowing the yard. Definitely appreciate the input.

[errorist]

I like to Dip it. I like to Dip it. I like to Dip it real good.

I like to Dip it. I like to Dip it. I like to Dip it real good.

 

Dip Rap! You like?

[ant]

no dipping was needed here! it this the type of haze you r speeking of?

 

b4!!!!!

 

 

 

after!!!

 

 

get a ultasonic cleaner with a plastic basket (not metal mesh) and it will clean just about everything with just distilled water and a lil wormth.

[TomB]

Are those wavy lines actually on your coin after being in the sonic cleaner? If so, it looks like damage.

[ant]

they r finger print lines it looks like this coin was only in cleaner for 1 min. the acuall coin was sent to a friend ill see if he will post here to let us know since he has in hands

[Wihlborg]

Are those wavy lines actually on your coin after being in the sonic cleaner?

 

Tom,

 

I was looking at the images before reading your question and I was wondering about those lines also. I can still see haze on the coin and was thinking that it looked like the ultra sonic cleaner did not remove all of the haze and left some in the shape of the wave action from the cleaner.

 

John

[ant]

i have sent a mesege to the person with itin hand. he is quite the cam collector that is why i sent. hopfully he lets us know:)

 

also i did only put in for 1 min to see what would happen i probobly should have left in there longer the next time i find a coin like this i will scan after 1 min incrumints to see how long it needs to be in cleaner.

 

im trying to find ways to spiffy up a coin without the use of chemicals. i will start a post in the conservation section and have pics of coins as i clean them and with what.

 

i have:

ultrasonic = no chemicals

e-z-est

koinsolve

[jgrinz]

I have USED MS70 on US MINT Installed Finger Prints with great success

 

Wavey lines looks like ultrasonic waves to me ..

[Wihlborg]

O.K., thats two for ultrasonic waves.

 

John

[Stanley]

O.K., thats two for ultrasonic waves.

 

John

The marks could be where the waves didn’t finish the job.

[JKK]

Here's that Morgan (if I did the image stuff right):

 

 

Image of the reverse edited out, since I somehow failed to get it sized down to manageability. Apologies for the massive if brief pic.

 

It looks worse on the scan than it really does. In reality it just has a sort of dingy coppery tone, and I probably need to adjust the scanner, but this is the first coin I ever scanned in my life. It used to be bright and eye-pleasing.

[Stanley]

For what it is, it looks better as is and besides it looks to have already been dipped at some time

 

Good image

[JKK]

For what it is, it looks better as is and besides it looks to have already been dipped at some time

 

Good image

That's bad news, because if it was dipped it was done with pre-1972 technology, which I suspect was probably a lot less slick than today's. That's when it was given me, and it was re-holdered once, but I sure never messed with it. In any case, if it was dipped before, that's probably what caused it to pick up the tarnish over the years (that and an old holder).

[Wihlborg]

I agree with Stan. The coin does look better than you made it sound, and I believe it has been dipped sometime in the past. As for pre 1972 technology, I wouldn’t worry about that. Dipping solutions have changed little, if at all since way before then.

 

Going by your image though, I would definitely not try to dip it again. This coin appears to be a classic example of the type of coin that at this stage would actually wind up looking worse. In my opinion, it would wind up with that typical washed out dull white look.

 

John

[JKK]

Okay. Well, my inertia lies with not dipping to begin with. It would take a very compelling reason, and a lot of confidence, to overcome that inertia. In this case I have neither compelling reason nor confidence, so no chemicals will touch this Morgan.

 

So let's talk about the dipping. You gentlemen suggest that it looks like it's been dipped in the past. That wouldn't surprise me. What are the signs of that? Is it that it tended to lose that faux luster because the original surface was damaged? How can you tell? This is a great chance to learn because I have the coin right under my nose to examine as closely as I care. I would definitely like to become better educated in this area.

[TomB]

Ant, I hate to break this to you, but if you used water in your sonic cleaner then you did indeed use a chemical.

[Stanley]

 

Same coin different light....

 

 

[MorganMan]

Ant, I hate to break this to you, but if you used water in your sonic cleaner then you did indeed use a chemical.

 

 

OMG, he used Dihydrogen Monoxide on it..........

 

 

 

MM

[Stanley]

Ant, I hate to break this to you, but if you used water in your sonic cleaner then you did indeed use a chemical.

 

 

OMG, he used Dihydrogen Monoxide on it..........

 

 

 

MM

H2O