Coins and jewelry that have been underground or in saltwater for a long time and that you have found with a metal detector are often heavily stained/corroded.

To make a good detection, we recommend the Garrett AT Pro for their properties and depth levels, however, there are many options on our site that could suit your needs, such as some long-distance geolocator which we detail in our article.

Gold is such a stable metal that it rarely, if ever, oxidizes; it usually remains shiny and new.

But many minor metals darken or are covered with cardinal, which gives them a dark green tone.

However, other metals suffer from an accumulation of rust, which makes it difficult to distinguish the characteristics, especially in coins.

So keep in mind that rings, bracelets, coins, and other precious and useful items of daily use among the metal detection findings can be cleaned using these methods that do not include any artifact to carry them out.

Soft acids for cleaning found objects with a metal detector

Soak metal objects and coins in an undiluted solution of brown sauce, white vinegar, or Coca-Cola.

This will eliminate blackened areas, revealing the details of the coins.

Note that this method is also harmful to most metals, and although you can read any brand, copper or cupro-nickel items take on a natural orange hue.

Toothbrush for cleaning metals found with metal detector

For silver, clean the object with a toothbrush soaked in baking soda.

This will remove any blackened/stained areas while preserving all precious metal.

Silver coins are especially well cleaned in a bath of soft drink, hot water, and aluminum foil.

Ammonia or white vinegar

Soak clean silver, or gold, overnight in vinegar or ammonia. This will bring back the glow.

Distilled water

Soak your coins or jewelry in distilled water for several days before removing them and rubbing them with a solution of water / liquid detergent.

Use a nail brush to reach corners and hard-to-reach spaces.

Olive oil

Soak your findings in olive oil. This is considered one of the safest ways to clean valuable coins, as the oil is so soft that it does not damage the patina.

It can take many months for olive oil to completely clean the coins.

Wax

Experts use a product called Renaissance Micro Crystalline Wax to treat clean coins.

Once processed, the coins are ready for display and protected against further deterioration.

It only uses this in valuable findings; it is more expensive than the other methods.

And to find out more about metal detection and which one is best for you, chat with us live on our website!