Bad cleaning idea

[Springbank]

I saw a large number of ancient coins at a local flea market a week or two ago.  The seller had "cleaned" them in a virbratory tumbler.  I think he used walnut shells as media, and the coins were badly over cleaned.  Bright and shiny.  He had a few uncleaned crusties that I almost bought out of pity, but his price was too high. 

[peterpil19]

I haven't heard of anyone who uses this technique with much success. It is a shame about the coins.

Peter

[Scotvs Capitis]

Those vibrating tubler and walnut media are good for polishing brass small arms casings for reloading, but for coins, no way! I took some copper pennies and tubled them with nothing but the coins and soapy water just to see how much wear would occur from coin on coin contact only. I ended up with pennies that looked as if they had first been carried daily in a packet for a century then sand blasted. "Coins" should only be used in the same sentence as "tumblers" when buying a tumbler.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've had coins which appeared to have been 'cleaned' by thins method; they had the highlights rubbed raw, while the fields were still uncleaned. They needed cleaning, then careful treatment with Deller's to disguise the rawness.