I have used electrolysis for about 35 years as a means to clean coins and relics that came out of the ground in less than desirable condition. Sandy soil, such as I have in central Florida, is not hard on silver and gold coins, relics and jewelry metal detecting finds. Nickel, copper and brass do not fare as well and many finds also come out damaged by fire or other environmental (soil) factors. Getting started is easy and not expensive.
The first thing you need to get is an 9, 12 or 18 volt AC/DC adapter from a phone or other electronic source such as a game system. Most people have one laying around the house or they can be purchased at a thrift store for a couple dollars.
Cut off the small plug at the other end of your adapter, and separate the wires. Strip the ends and attach an alligator clip to each wire with the screws that are supplied (do not use the copper colored clips). Alligator clips are inexpensive and hardware stores or stores like KMART or WALMART carry them.
A stainless steel spoon, a glass cup and a box of salt are the only other essentials necessary to complete your coin cleaning project. Lemon juice concentrate can also enhance your results but not required for the electrolysis to work.
Fill the glass cup with tap water and add a teaspoon of salt and stir it up well. Putting a few drops of lemon juice concentrate into the water will increase the conductivity level.
The next step is to determine which clip has the positive and negative wires. If you do not have a tester to determine this, don't worry. Put the stainless steel spoon in the glass and attach one alligator clip to it and the other to the coin. Plug the adapter into the wall outlet and submerge the coin in the salty solution so it is completely covered without touching the spoon. If the spoon starts bubbling, you need to switch the alligator clip around. The negative clip is the one that bubbles and that goes to the coin. I mark the positive clip with a red marker, or better yet, place a knot in the negative wire to remember putting coins to that clip.
If all is well the coin will begin to fizzle and bubble within a few seconds. Make sure the clip is touching the bare metal on the coin. It may be necessary to remove a little of the corrosion to get to the bare metal. Within a few minutes it should look like a small cloud of dirt is forming around the coin. The electrolysis is working and the current is passing through the coin and separating the nonmetallic corrosive particles off the coin. After about five minutes the cloud will be much bigger and it will generate a foul odor. It takes about five to seven minutes to clean the coin but it doesn't hurt to lift it out of the solution to check the cleaning process. When you feel it is done, unplug tour unit. Do not ever leave the unit plugged in and unattended. The heat factor of electrolysis could start a fire and destroy your home.
I have successfully used this cleaning method on ancient, Biblical, and 1700-1900 coins of all types. If you are unsure about the value of a coin, do not use this method. Remember that ancient coins are not judged in the same manner that modern coins are and this method is somewhat safer for most of them. Safety is a must! Get yourself an OSHA approved mask as a chemical breathing device. Stainless steel gives off a gas in the cleaning process that could cause skin or even lung damage over a long period of time. Also treat the residue for what it is, a hazardous chemical, and dispose of it in an appropriate manner. Rust free cast iron is much safer than stainless and eliminates the risk to your health. It is a better choice for this cleaning process.
Here's to "diggin" it! Larry
Disclaimer: Do this at your own risk and never use this method on valuable coins as value will be greatly reduced!
Larry Smith is an avid Coin Collector and Metal Detectorist. With over 45 years experience, he's fast becoming a world renowned expert in the field. Larry has put together a free ebook sharing his advice, insight, and amazing stories. He also gives away a FREE dug coin on the 15th of every month. You can enter to win your own coin and get his free ebook right now by going to:
Metal Detecting And Coin Collecting Free Report
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By Larry E. Smith 
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