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 Replies: 21 / Views: 15,225 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2669 Posts |
Quote:
CCF famed Verdigris We have famous verdigris?!  No, really, it's Verdi-Care  It doesn't really work on dirt, just the mean green verdigris on the coins. Distilled water is indeed your best bet - soak them for a bit, swish them gently around, rinse off in some clean distilled, and either allow to air dry on a soft towel or use just carl's warm dryer. |
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
864 Posts |
Oopsie  must have been thinking of Ambergris musk oil  Ok, on shopping list: distilled water. I've never bought distilled water before that I'm aware of. Occassionally I buy bottled drinking water, not mineral!, is this "distilled"? I've never noticed (you can tell I'm not a health food nut when it comes to brands of bottled waters) I think I'd air dry. Sounds like Dryer Coins don't sell Thanks you Just Carl & Xshift! |
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Moderator
 United States
14463 Posts |
last time I bought distilled water, the supermarket had it in 5 gallon jugs. Drinking water is not distilled water. Distilled water is also best water to use in automobile batteries.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
For dirty coins, I just rub them gently between my fingers with very soapy water.
That way, I clean my fingers as well! Just thoroughly rinse and dry the coin er, and fingers as well! Circulated gold responds to this treatment best. I never brush any coin.
Nevertheless, the points just carl makes are right. I only use this method on coins up to EF. Acetone is the way to go with coins in uncirculated or better condition.
I rarely have the need to clean ANY coin.
The answer to the question in my opinion: for coins below EF grade: No.
Edited by sel_69l
03/10/2011 06:19 am
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
864 Posts |
Thanks for all the good advice folks.
I mostly search rolls that customers wrap and bring to the bank, so some coins are really dirty. Some also pretty trashed ones stuck in the middles of them too :D Amazing what conditions you can find in these rolls. You get good mixes of dates though and lots of US in our Canadian rolls, plus sometimes some very good looking like new looking ones. I like the mixed customer rolls as I never know what cool finds I'll get.
Anyways, thanks again for all your responses in here. It helps me lots.
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Pillar of the Community
Philippines
1156 Posts |
Hi Dottir, I also get some coins here covered with tar, after being submerged in some river bed for some decades You would need a 24x loupe to see the dirt, reason is even using very soft tissue to clean the coin, leaves scratches on the coin. Using the 24x loupe you can see that the scratches are actually on the Dirt, and Not on the metal of the coin. to restore coin surface to the light of day, I just submerge the tar covered coin 5 sec in acetone and then submerge in water, with soap but use only your thumb to wipe off the dirt. again I only use this restoring technique on hopeless coins covered with solid tar, these are quite common here in asia to find in dealer's large coin bowls selling at 20cents each a coin I got from a coin bowl was covered with tar, but the little sheen looked promising, turned out to be a 1924 Fookien 20 cents & silver in VF-XF krause listed at $40! & I got it tar covered, at 20 cents  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
864 Posts |
Thanks for all the tips, and also the great stories about tar and coins. I really liked your 20 cent piece story. Good score! I sure get some interesting coins in rolls. I've found coins painted with nailpolish. Coins coated in what appears like a plastic like finish (burgundy brownish colours) plus I get very interesting colours, makes me think of gasoline on water, those rainbow-y colours. Then weird green tint stuff. Don't know what that is  and other times black goopy tarry looking "i dunno what this is" stuff but I cringe and scared to touch it  I wash my hands LOTS! |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
"Out damned spot!"...... (Shakespeare), and MacBeth was not trying to kick his dog out of the kitchen!
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
864 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
327 Posts |
Oh, for pete's sake.
No no never wash coins or remove dirt, the dirt/grime/crud adds value!!
While you want to avoid altering the surface of the coin, having it so covered in gunk that the details are obscured or that the surface of the coin (the patina or toning or luster) is not visible is just silly. In fact, it detracts from the value significantly in all but the most rare instances. In coppers especially, a dirty coin with deposits on the surface is a case of verdigris in the process of occurring.
Cleaning=altering the coin surface=bad
Conserving=removing foreign substances, especially those that can damage the coin=good.
Skin oils, mineral deposits, grit and various other substances can and will damage or alter the surface of the coin over time.
Of course, so does exposure to our now noxiously polluted atmosphere.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
last time I bought distilled water, the supermarket had it in 5 gallon jugs. Drinking water is not distilled water. Distilled water is also best water to use in automobile batteries.
The usage of distilled water for car batteries or any rechargable Lead-Acid battery is actually a great example of why you should only use it on coins. As a battery charges it emits gasses and usually some of it is water vapor. It is replaced with Distilled water for a reason. Using any other type of water will slowly create residues on the bottom of the battery that will shorten out the terminals. That samd STUFF in tab, well, spring, etc waters is what also is not good for ocins. If left to evaporate on a coin, that reesidue left may well ruin a coin. Distilled water is labled as such on the container it is sold in at almost any store. Blow drying with a hair dryer on warm will help to evaporate moisture faster and also blow off some of the moisture too. Always note that few soaps ever really tell you exactly what they are made of since allowing that info out would possibly help their competiion make the same. Even tooth brushes are not that quality controlled to make sure every strnd of a soft one is really soft. It would only take one strand of course to damage a coin. Anything past an Acetone and distilled water dipping could ruin a coin. Coins are not exactly made to withstand the same treatment as a railroad spike. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
864 Posts |
Thats good advice added too in last two posts. Thanks.
Keyword is all this would be to "CONSERVE". Which is different from "clean", or more specific, is a "harmless-to-the-coin-way-of-cleaning-&-coin-care" them.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
958 Posts |
if the coin is so dirty and you cant read the date the coin does not have much of a value over the metal content.
I see a big difference in " cleaning a coin " and removing caked on crud .
the most non abrasive way would be the soaking technique. Just enough to get a date , or date and mint mark readable then decide to go from there.
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New Member
United States
8 Posts |
You may have already know of this cleaning thick, but for those that do not, for stubborn tar or crust buildup, you can cover your coin (never tried copper) in olive oil until the crude melts off, followed by a warm water rinse, blot dry, NEVER rub. Common practice among dealers I've been told. Worth a try.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
864 Posts |
Yes I've read mentions about soaking in olive oil ;) I've also seen mentions of using a softened toothpick to gently try get caked on dirt off from around the edges of devices, but I do worry about leaving scratches.
A lot of the coins I get have a lot of dings and nicks because they've been heavily circulated for a whole lot of years so sometimes I risk that if they're low grade looking and I really want to see some more detail.
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Replies: 21 / Views: 15,225 |
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Posted 03/09/2011 6:42 pm
