To Clean Or Not To Clean!

Your coin might clean up okay...but it might look worse. It helps to know what you are doing before trying to clean a coin. You should practice on some culls to better understand what will happen. I used to clean lots of ancients; but now only clean occasionally. Here are a few that I have cleaned --

Well done.

I don't recommend that inexperienced people clean coins with chemicals; but my most effective chemicals are carbonates with three different pH's-- sodium bicarbonate, sodium sesquicarbonate and sodium carbonate. Occasionally I have used electrolysis...once again you should not attempt unless you have some experience.

Here are two of my favorite products for cleaning green...cleaning time varies depending on condition of coin and strength of solution. Don't ever try to clean a coin unless you understand you can make it worse. Remember you can't undo it.

here's one that I soaked in ammonia (maybe 10% solution) for about 30 minutes and then scrubbed with a denture brush...they have firmer bristles than a normal toothbrush.





some of my cleaning chemicals

I never used ammonia, only sesquicarbonate and only on active bronze disease. It is slow to remove deep corrosion, sometimes I have to mechanically remove the upper layer.

Victor, is there some advantage in using ammonia?

jecz79

Ammonia is quite risky !
It can yield splendid results
Mediocre results .
Or catastrophic results !!!

I have experienced all three
Generally the supermarket Ammonia is less reliable
If you can pass it beneath your nose without having a 'violent' reaction you have an inferior product
The hardware store usually stocks

Beware though .
There will be tragedy's

Thanks. I am not one to provide tragedy will abstain from ammonia.

The carbonates are serving me fine and I have the patience to wait for results.