I am currently planning a trip for to the world in the beginning of May. It's been 15 years since I have been to Disney and the first time with my own kid who is 5. So in my planning and research I discovered this great forum and quickly realized I had no idea how much it has changed over the years, I knew it changed but just not how much.
Anyway I have seen that many people talk about collecting pressed pennies at the parks. I have been collecting pressed pennies now for some time and have learned some good info about doing it. I thought I would share some of it with the board here.
Ok first of all visit these 2 sites as a starter
pennycollector.com
This site has some great general info and location info for the whole country.
presscoins.com
This site has specific info on pennies at disney along with a location list that is pretty current as well as the designs that are currently in use.
I have also heard that it is possible to get a current list from guest services with the locations of the machines at the parks.
Now of course you can go to the bank and get some rolls of quarters and pennies and head off to the machines and start pressing away, you might even go a bit further and pick out the newest shiny pennies you can find and get a nice shiny penny out of the press. Unfortunetly this is not the best approach if you want your collection to last and look nice for years to come. It takes a little work and prep to get a nice collection that will last for years.
Sometime in 1982 the US mint decided that the price of copper was to expensive and decided to make a penny that is 95% zinc (which is in the center of the coin) and coat it with a thin layer of copper to give it the penny look. The problem with this coin is when you press the mostly zinc penny you tear through the thin copper layer and expose the zinc core, this gives you a penny with silverish streaks through the pressed cent. Then to make things worse the zinc will oxidize over time, and leave you with a cent that is coroded and not to attractive. That is why the serious penny collector likes the pre 1982 pennies that are almost all copper. Now we all know copper gets a petina with time that turns it a greenish brown color that some find not to attractive. Well a bottle of brasso will fix that problem with ease. When the zinc corodes there is not much you can do. With this said, go through the loose change you have laying around, you will be surprised just how many 1981 and earlier cents you have. (Advoid the 1982's some are copper some are not it is hard to tell the difference so just advoid them) Now there is a good chance you don't have the 600 or so pennies you need to get all the pennies disney has to offer or maybe you have no loose change laying in the cracks of the couch. If this is the case head off to your local bank and get a $25 box of pennies. Start going through them, in my experience with about a dozen boxes you will get anywhere from 2-20, '81 and earlier pennies to a roll, probably averaging about 10 a roll. If you have loose change laying around refill the rolls with those newer cents and take the rolls back to bank and get your $25 back.
Now you are left with a ugly pile of dark brown dirty pennies. It's time to get cleaning. The first site mentioned above has tons of tips for cleaning from ketchup to brasso to a rock tumbler. I have tried almost all of them and all of them work to different degrees. I have actually improved on some of the techniques there as well. If your are going to do it by hand the 2 best ways I have found to clean the cents is using brasso. It will bring back the shine and it is pretty simple, dab of brass on the penny and simply buff away. The other way I prefer by hand is to use baking soda and lemon juice. Make a paste with the baking soda by adding a little water. Also add some table salt as well to the bakng soda, it gives you some abrasiveness to the paste. Slather your paste onto the coin then get you one of those lemon shaped container filled with lemon juice. Put a couple drops onto the paste that is on the coin and buff away. The acidic lemon juicfe will send the baking soda into a mad fizz, remember those volcanos you made in science class.
The other way that involves a lot less elbow grease is using a rock tumbler. The basic idea here is to use something that will knock the tarnish off as the pennies rock and roll in the rock tumbler. So you can put just about anything that is abrasive into it with the pennies and some water and tumble for a while and see how it does. I have stumbled upon a even better thing experimenting with the rock tumbler on accident. I bought copperhead brand BB's to use as an abrasive, if your not familar with these BB's they are normal bb's coated with brass. When you put the pennies in the tumbler with some vinegar, salt and the bb's, some more science happens. As it tumbles the brass gets stripped from the bb's and transfered to the pennies, leaving them with a nice shiny brass coating. It gives the penny a totally differnt color and they are really nice looking. Now with this method the bb's after several runs will loose all the brass and they will turn to a dull grey. At this point throw them away shoot them whatever, but as far as their days as a penny polisher they are done. They are cheap so it's not that big of a deal. When you take your pennies out of the tumbler make sure your rinse them real good and let them dry.
You can stop here in the cleaning process or you can take it a step further. The next step serves 2 purposes if you choose to do it. Get a can of spray teflon lube. You can get it at any hardware store. Lay out about 10 pennies spray one side with the spray flip them over and do the other side. Then buff off the excess. It will leave the pennies with a funny smell but your pennies are now protected. As I said the teflon does 2 things. One it puts thin layer on the penny that basically seals it and prevents tarnish. The other is that it actually presses a little smoother since it is now a little more slippery and it keeps it from getting dirt transfered to the penny in the press. If some dirt does get on it it wipes off with ease.
Now you are ready to get your quarters and go out and get those pressed pennies. I recommend some kind of system to keep track of them, everyone will have their own system to keep track just do whatever works for you.
If you follow the above you will have a beautiful penny collection when done.
Enjoy, in early May you can find me in disney hunting down penny machines.
I can't wait!!!!!!!
Camlgt
Anyway I have seen that many people talk about collecting pressed pennies at the parks. I have been collecting pressed pennies now for some time and have learned some good info about doing it. I thought I would share some of it with the board here.
Ok first of all visit these 2 sites as a starter
pennycollector.com
This site has some great general info and location info for the whole country.
presscoins.com
This site has specific info on pennies at disney along with a location list that is pretty current as well as the designs that are currently in use.
I have also heard that it is possible to get a current list from guest services with the locations of the machines at the parks.
Now of course you can go to the bank and get some rolls of quarters and pennies and head off to the machines and start pressing away, you might even go a bit further and pick out the newest shiny pennies you can find and get a nice shiny penny out of the press. Unfortunetly this is not the best approach if you want your collection to last and look nice for years to come. It takes a little work and prep to get a nice collection that will last for years.
Sometime in 1982 the US mint decided that the price of copper was to expensive and decided to make a penny that is 95% zinc (which is in the center of the coin) and coat it with a thin layer of copper to give it the penny look. The problem with this coin is when you press the mostly zinc penny you tear through the thin copper layer and expose the zinc core, this gives you a penny with silverish streaks through the pressed cent. Then to make things worse the zinc will oxidize over time, and leave you with a cent that is coroded and not to attractive. That is why the serious penny collector likes the pre 1982 pennies that are almost all copper. Now we all know copper gets a petina with time that turns it a greenish brown color that some find not to attractive. Well a bottle of brasso will fix that problem with ease. When the zinc corodes there is not much you can do. With this said, go through the loose change you have laying around, you will be surprised just how many 1981 and earlier cents you have. (Advoid the 1982's some are copper some are not it is hard to tell the difference so just advoid them) Now there is a good chance you don't have the 600 or so pennies you need to get all the pennies disney has to offer or maybe you have no loose change laying in the cracks of the couch. If this is the case head off to your local bank and get a $25 box of pennies. Start going through them, in my experience with about a dozen boxes you will get anywhere from 2-20, '81 and earlier pennies to a roll, probably averaging about 10 a roll. If you have loose change laying around refill the rolls with those newer cents and take the rolls back to bank and get your $25 back.
Now you are left with a ugly pile of dark brown dirty pennies. It's time to get cleaning. The first site mentioned above has tons of tips for cleaning from ketchup to brasso to a rock tumbler. I have tried almost all of them and all of them work to different degrees. I have actually improved on some of the techniques there as well. If your are going to do it by hand the 2 best ways I have found to clean the cents is using brasso. It will bring back the shine and it is pretty simple, dab of brass on the penny and simply buff away. The other way I prefer by hand is to use baking soda and lemon juice. Make a paste with the baking soda by adding a little water. Also add some table salt as well to the bakng soda, it gives you some abrasiveness to the paste. Slather your paste onto the coin then get you one of those lemon shaped container filled with lemon juice. Put a couple drops onto the paste that is on the coin and buff away. The acidic lemon juicfe will send the baking soda into a mad fizz, remember those volcanos you made in science class.
The other way that involves a lot less elbow grease is using a rock tumbler. The basic idea here is to use something that will knock the tarnish off as the pennies rock and roll in the rock tumbler. So you can put just about anything that is abrasive into it with the pennies and some water and tumble for a while and see how it does. I have stumbled upon a even better thing experimenting with the rock tumbler on accident. I bought copperhead brand BB's to use as an abrasive, if your not familar with these BB's they are normal bb's coated with brass. When you put the pennies in the tumbler with some vinegar, salt and the bb's, some more science happens. As it tumbles the brass gets stripped from the bb's and transfered to the pennies, leaving them with a nice shiny brass coating. It gives the penny a totally differnt color and they are really nice looking. Now with this method the bb's after several runs will loose all the brass and they will turn to a dull grey. At this point throw them away shoot them whatever, but as far as their days as a penny polisher they are done. They are cheap so it's not that big of a deal. When you take your pennies out of the tumbler make sure your rinse them real good and let them dry.
You can stop here in the cleaning process or you can take it a step further. The next step serves 2 purposes if you choose to do it. Get a can of spray teflon lube. You can get it at any hardware store. Lay out about 10 pennies spray one side with the spray flip them over and do the other side. Then buff off the excess. It will leave the pennies with a funny smell but your pennies are now protected. As I said the teflon does 2 things. One it puts thin layer on the penny that basically seals it and prevents tarnish. The other is that it actually presses a little smoother since it is now a little more slippery and it keeps it from getting dirt transfered to the penny in the press. If some dirt does get on it it wipes off with ease.
Now you are ready to get your quarters and go out and get those pressed pennies. I recommend some kind of system to keep track of them, everyone will have their own system to keep track just do whatever works for you.
If you follow the above you will have a beautiful penny collection when done.
Enjoy, in early May you can find me in disney hunting down penny machines.
I can't wait!!!!!!!
Camlgt
