3237. To Remove Dark Stains from Silver

3237.    To Remove Dark Stains from Silver. A certain remedy for the most inveterate stains that are sometimes to be seen on teaspoons and other silver ware, is to pour a little sulphuric acid into a saucer, wet with it a soft linen rag, and rub it on the blackened silver till the stain disappears. Then coat the articles with whiting finely powdered and sifted, and mixed with whiskey or spirits of wine. When the whiting has dried oh, and rested a quarter of an hour or more, wipe it with a silk handkerchief, and polish with a soft buckskin.

3238. To Remove Egg Stains from Spoons

3238.     To Remove Egg Stains from Spoons. To remove the stains on spoons, caused by using them for boiled eggs, take a little common salt moist between the thumb and finger, and briskly rub the stain, which will soon disappear. Then wash.

3239. To Clean Gold, Silver, and Copper Coin for Numismatic Collections

3239.    To Clean Gold, Silver, and Copper Coin for Numismatic Collections. Make a weak solution of cyanide of potassium and bathe the coin in it for 2 or 3 seconds, then immediately wash it with a very fine brush, in soap-suds; rinse in clean cold water, and dry in boxwood saw dust. This receipt is particularly good for fine proof coins. Be careful not to let the coins remain in the solution longer than the time specified, otherwise they may have a frosted appearance. (See No. 2167 (Quickly-Setting Rust Joint Cement).) As the cyanide of potassium is a very deadly poison, great care must be taken by the operator not to use it unless his hands are entirely free from scratches. This solution may also be used for cleaning fine copper coins, but care must be taken not to use the mixture that has previously been employed for cleaning silver, or a coating of the latter metal may be the consequence. (See Nos. 3224 (To Protect Silver-Ware from Tarnishing) and 3225.)

Silver coins are often covered with a dense green oxide. To remove this they should be steeped for 10 minutes in a solution of ammonia, then immersed in water and wiped with a soft towel; if necessary, a fresh quantity of the solution may be applied. Copper coin may be cleaned by immersing in pure sweet oil and wiping dry with a soft rag.