How Do You Clean Ancient Roman Coins Using Lye?
Ancient Roman coins were often made of silver or copper. This means that any coins you have collected could be covered in centuries of tarnish. If you decide you want to clean these coins using lye, there are two things to keep in mind. One, cleaning them could result in pitting or a yellow or brownish patina, either of which will reduce their value. Second, lye can be a very toxic substance. You must be absolutely certain not to get it in your eyes or nose or on your skin. Put on rubber gloves to protect your skin from the lye. Put your coins in a glass jar, such as an old pickle jar. Do not use one you plan on using for food storage later. If you have more than five coins, use more jars as needed. Pour 1 1/2 cups of cold water on top of the coins. It is best to use distilled water for this step, but tap will do in a pinch. Add in half a cup of lye. Put the lid on the jar. Pick it up near the base with one hand and move that hand like you would if you were stirring a pot. This will ca
