I bought a few silver half dollars that have a to much brand new look.Is there a way (a product)to turn them older quikly instead of wayting a long long time?I use to use 2euro coins wich are dificult to manipulate but have the advantage to be impromtu. Now with the halves I feel like I´m using magic props but tey are so much easyar to work with...

thanks,
Quartin

I don't know how well it works on silver but amonia works well on copper. You might want to give it a try.

Bleach. Using bleach to oxidize the coins then using silver polish with Q-tips is probably one of the best ways out there.

how long do you leave them in bleach?

Also, would this work on quarters as well?

Or with kennedy half dollars?

If you mean old as in worn. Then use a buffing wheel on a drill and Jewelers Rough. Buff until you get the smoothness you want. Don't forget to wear heavy glove as the coin will get very hot.

If you mean old as in dull, then just carry them in your pocket and your sweat will dull the coins. Leave them set out, do not put them in a bag or box. They will tarnish with age.

Thanks for the tips

Fernando Quartin

Caution: Be extremely careful when using a buffing wheel and wearing gloves. Depending on the size of the wheel and the kind of gloves you wear (loose) it could catch the material and cause serious damage to your hand.

It's best not to wear gloves when working around a wheel but hold the work in a small peice of leather. If it gets caught it will just rip it out of your hand and go flying leaving your fingers intact.

Thanks for the advice Watchmaker,
Fernando Quartin

TwistedAce is correct with the bleaching method. It works in minutes, but I believe it only reacts with real silver coins -not clad. Regardless, it took me some time experimenting on how to clean them up with the polish and look acceptable. I would suggest it is just easier to buy old coins that are naturally aged (Morgans,Barbers,Liberties et al)

Watchmaker, that's good advice. How did you know that? Are you a watchmaker or something?

Mr Davidson:

Believe it or not I am. In fact years ago when I was trying to decide whether or not to go to Watchmaking school I took the back off the wristwatch I got from Collectors Workshop and thought to myself 'now that's pretty cool'. It helped me decide.

I'm also an amateur dentist!

But that's another subject.