Coin oops

I don't believe in “cleaning” coins. I love the patina, just as much as I love getting a bright new shiny coin.  But, I am a bit of a germophobe.  If a coin is particularly grungy, I will soak it in cold tap water for a few minutes, then pat dry on a soft cloth.  This being said, last night I had picked up a few coins that I had set aside to soak, and put them in the water.  Forgot all about them.  This evening when I returned to my coins, I saw murky brown water.  I quickly pulled the coins out and patted them dry.  There were a few 1960s era pfennig pieces, which appeared a little brighter, a 1990 pfennig piece, a 1953 Canada 1cent, which appeared to have collected the goop from the other coins, a 1971 ½ New Penny which is now discolored red, and a 1953 Panamanian Cinquentenario, also discolored.

Has anyone seen this happen before?

Is there a way to restore the discolored coins without actually “cleaning”?

I would suggest acetone for cleaning up the goop.  However I suspect the discoloration might be permanent.  It kind of sounds like you got some metal ions floating all around in there and probably deposited on other surfaces.

Do you have pictures?

@Slipstreamed Thank you, I hope not, but have been researching the possibility.  The Pfinnig are copper or bronze with a steel core, the 1cent is copper, the New Penny is bronze, and the staining is on the UN decimo, which is silver.  I didn't realize I had put it in, I try to keep my metals in separate groups.

On the other hand, you did say it was just plain water.  More likely it's the goo that dissolved and made it murky.  Still, I would separate the coins anyways in the future.

I normally do keep them separate, like metals and 2 or 3 at a time.  I don't know how the silver got in, and I think that's what caused the reaction.  I've tried a few things to bring the coins back to their condition prior to this.  The pfennig were soaked briefly in new clean water.  There was not much of a change.  The Canadian 1cent added some color to the water and looked more like it did beforehand.  The ½ New Penny looked like it might come out nice. I soaked it for about 5 minutes, then rubbed it between my fingers under water. Big mistake as all the old beautiful tarnish wiped right off. (Beating my head on the wall).  From now on I'm triple checking what's going on the water.

Is there a way to re-tarnish that doesn't violate anything?

I haven't even tried anything with the silver decimo.  Would acetone damage it any?  I'm hoping it's just stained lightly from the copper and not permanent.

Ruining toning is like a bad haircut… it will grow back.  You just might have some weird cow-lick, or different color.  Maybe it's not quite like a bad haircut, but you get the idea.

Acetone should clean fine.  Whatever the result, put them in your collection and chalk it up as a learned lesson.  They'll tone up in time.

@Slipstreamed Thank you very much again, I'll never forget this lesson.