How to Clean Copper Coins in Seconds

Co-authored by Elias Weston

Last Updated: November 9, 2022 Approved

Brighten old, dark pennies in seconds! No scrubbing necessary at all. The effect is achieved only where the mixture has been in contact with the coin, so ensure you cover the entire coin!

Steps

1
In a small container, place a small amount of table-salt (1 gram is plenty).^{[1]
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2
Add enough acetic acid (vinegar, white vinegar is most recommended) to moisten the salt into a paste.^{[2]
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3
Now simply apply the paste to the penny wherever you want it to brighten up. The effect is immediate and obvious.^{[3]
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4
Note: if you don't have any vinegar you can substitute it with tomato ketchup because it is also acidic. This works well for copper bottom pans too!^{[4]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can I use isopropyl alcohol to clean the coins?

Community Answer

Since all alcohol is neutral (having neither acidic or alkaline charges) it will only remove ceraint oil base soils. The advantage is it will not cause any decrease in numismatic value, but there are better options for cleaning materials.
Question

What are ultrasonic cleaners when it comes to cleaning copper coins? Do I need to add liquid to it?

Denny Hipsher

Community Answer

Ultrasonic cleaners work by microcavitation. Or in layman's terms, by generating microscopic bubbles between a hard surface and a softer material, and allowing them to catastrophically collapse. This process only works in fluid. So at the very least you need distilled water as a working medium. As for what is best to add and enhance the cleaning action, I'm not sure. Caution: blood plasma counts as a fluid. So if you leave your hand in the ultrasonic cleaner long enough, it will "clean" the flesh from your bones. This is usually only a concern for industrial levels of exposure.
Question

Is muriatic acid okay to clean copper?

Community Answer

HCI works, but you get an orange look to the copper and still need to use your elbow grease to clean it.

Warnings

Different types of coins require different cleaning solutions, so ask an expert if you are not sure.

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NEVER drink the solution that was used to clean the pennies.

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Do not ever use this solution on valuable coins. Although a vinegar solution is weak on acetic acid, it could result in the creation of undesirable tones or luster, or the destruction of the patina. Leave it for a collector to assess and deal with. You may cause irreparable damage. The same goes for all antiques -don't clean, paint or polish anything that may have value before getting them appraised.

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