I was browsing klov today and came across this. I vaguely remember a game like this for CD-ROM…

Anyone reading this and remember it?

I’ve been experimenting with cleaning my newly formed token collection. It’s really not so much of a collection as it is a recently acquired cache of 2000+ coins that my Rowe BC1 Change Machine dispenses. Outside of actual Brass Cleaner, which is pretty expensive when you need to clean 2000 coins, I’ve found a couple of home cleaning agents that work best. There are several varieties of home remedies I found on the net. As an example, I tried a cleaning method that is touted across several forums and blogs first: Louisiana Hot Sauce. It cleaned the brass but it left pink stains on the coins. So I looked around and tested a few other methods. The two below I found to be quite useful:

The Works bathroom cleaner.
It’s about $3 a bottle and I just poured the whole thing in a clean bucket and stirred with a paint stick until the coins brightened. It didn’t clean the very tarnished (almost rusted) coins but for the most part it did a good job. Link to their product here.

The Sludge^TM
This one is a little more expensive than the works as it requires more ingredients. However, it does a great job cleaning. Not any one of these agents seemed to work very good on it’s own but combined they make a pretty tedious job go a lot quicker and the results are surprising. For about 300 coins you’ll need:

• A 1 & 1/2 Gallon bucket (A typical mop bucket with a handle is nice.)
• 1 Quart of White Vinegar (That’s 4 Cups kids)
• 1/4 Cup Baking Soda
• 1/2 Cup Oxy-Clean, Clorox Oxy-Stain Remover or other dry detergent.
• 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
• An old beach towel.
• A Paint Stick or other indestructible stirring mechanism.

Note: Keep in mind this is a cleaning agent and will not polish your coins. It will only remove tarnish and give them a bright, clean satin finish.

First sort out the problem child coins. In other words, make sure you don’t have ANY copper coins or coins that are so tarnished they will require something like Brasso or a real Brass polish to recover their luster. Copper coins in your brass mix may oxidize and cause some of your brass to come out discolored.

Layout your old beach towel on a tiled surface or other hard surface. You may not want to do this on your carpet or hardwood floors.

Now, put the remainder of your coins in the bottom of the bucket. Add all dry ingredients. Then add the lemon and vinegar. The mixture will foam. Fear not! It doesn’t last long. Mix the coins for about 3 minutes with the paint stick. If your bucket has a handle swivel it back and forth with the handle as a washing machine might with clothing. The water will turn blue. And eventually you may even see it turn rather brown. Use the paint stick to strain the dirty solution into your laundry tub–or outside if possible. The coins will now appear brighter. Rinse with warm/hot water and strain again. Repeat this a couple of times to be sure and get the agent off the brass. Now pour the contents of your bucket onto the towel. Spread the coins out evenly so they’re not resting on top of each other. An old t-shirt comes in handy to wipe down coins that may have a little residue from the solution you created.

Enjoy your clean coins!

I also ordered a coin tumbler which cleans the coins with a dry method. I’m looking forward to trying that and will report back how it works here.

On a side note, there is another guy that tried about every method available for a smaller coin collection here. It’s a very funny read.