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How to Remove Spots From Silver Coins

Silver coins are beautiful and convenient to collect due to their small size. While many silver coins were encased as soon as they were minted, rarer coins such as silver quarters have been exposed to the air and other elements. If your silver coins appear dingy or dirty, using a safe, natural cleaning method can help increase their value.

Things You'll Need

4 to 6 lemons
Large bowl
2 to 3 small iron nails
Old toothbrush
Acid-free paper
Water
White distilled vinegar
Tissue

Instructions

- 1
  Slice the lemons and squeeze enough fresh juice into a large bowl to cover the coins.
- 2
  Place 2 or 3 small iron nails into the bowl and add the silver coins. Iron is an excellent conductor for the chemical reaction that occurs between the silver and the acid. Without the nails, the coins would need to soak for at least several hours.
- 3
  Allow the coins to soak for 30 minutes.
- 4
  Remove the coins from the lemon juice and scrub them gently with an old toothbrush.
- 5
  Rinse the coils with cool water and dry them with soft, acid-free paper.
- 6
  Examine the coins for remaining dark oxidation spots.
- 7
  To remove any oxidation spots, soak a tissue in white distilled vinegar and rub it over the area. Rise the clean coins with cool water and dry them with soft tissues.

Coin Collecting