PSA: I stopped cleaning park finds with vinegar after it ruined a 1920s wheat penny

Found a bunch of old coins at a flea market in Ohio last weekend and tried the vinegar and baking soda trick I saw online. Worked great on some crusty 1960s nickels, but completely ate away the detail on a 1924 wheat penny I paid $8 for. Anyone else had better luck with just a soft toothbrush and distilled water for copper coins?

2 comments

2 Comments

ross.river2mo ago

Vinegar ate the date off a 1908 Indian head penny I found in a junk drawer once. I switched to distilled water and a soft toothbrush after that and it still took the patina off like I was scrubbing a potato. Guess my coins are probably safer just staying dirty at this point.

sam_anderson2mo ago

The distilled water wouldn't have taken the patina off, that was probably just the vinegar residue still on the coin making it more fragile. Sounds like you didn't rinse it well enough after the vinegar soak.