Trying Verdicare On Some Bronze Australian Coins

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Hi all,
following on from my attempts to remove some gunk from an error sixpence, I said I would try it out on some coppers.
So myself and herself have been at home with COVID since Tuesday and I have been keeping out of the way in my coin room. This has given me the chance to start playing with some verdigris affected bronze from my main collection. I had some practice attempts with some damaged spares and found that gently gently is the correct approach. The qtips can be quite abrasive if over-used in my opinion.
The best results I get is to use an overnight acetone bath first, then let the coin sit for some hours with one or two drops of Verdi-Care spread over the coin face with a toothpick (just enough to get total coverage).
Then place that coin flat on a microfibre cloth with some drops on it also, and gently circle the coin back and forth to remove any loose crud. If there is any hard stuck on scale remaining, I view it on the computer screen via a USB microscope, and try a soaked qtip first, and if it is still stubborn I use a toothpick (sharpened to a fine point on one of herself's nail boards) to gently persuade the muck around the legend outlines.
Once happy I give the whole coin a final gently dry down on a microfibre cloth, then let the coin sit to dry for at least 24 hours.
There is a real fine line between not enough and too much pressure applied with the qtip and toothpick. Using the USB scope on the big screen, if I press too hard, I can immediately see the natural patina being removed real time. So patience is the key.
And also, it is not a miracle "cleaner".
No point using it on something that is all corroded. You need to experiment with some expendables and get a feel for what coin it will help restore.

Results.
Care factor about how kosher my coin is now = 0.
Happiness factor = 8 to 9.
Anyway, judge for yourself, and apologies for the before shots, only have them in their 2x2s

The coin does appear to be greatly improved. Some might call it too good to be true but I can't see any hairlines or other signs of surface disruption. It looks like the verdigris has been effectively removed, with a very attractive appearance result.

Thanks for sharing!

Nice results. A lot more effort that I would spend on a coin.

That a very nice improvement.

Great job...very nice looking...if you want to smooth out the toning, put it on the window sill for a few weeks.

KK

Thanks for sharing the before and after. I've wonder about Verdi-Care and the results with copper, although I'm certain other's have posted this is the first seeing them. Well done!

Thanks for the comments and feedback, much appreciated.

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Great job...very nice looking...if you want to smooth out the toning, put it on the window sill for a few weeks.

Interesting thought. I'll give it a try on some test coins, can't hurt. Thanks.

I found some spare time this morning to re-visit some Australian bronze pre-decimal coins and start the process to give them a much needed restoration. Most of the collection of small bronze have built up grime and grease, PVC attack and some verdigris.
I'm using a similar process as before, except the acetone bath is only for a few minutes. This seems to work just as well as an overnight soak.
So today's coin is a 1914 George V Half Penny - 1.4 million coins minted in London.

Before and after shots below.

Today's coin is a 1914H George V Half Penny - 1.2 million coins minted at Heaton & Sons, Birmingham England

Edit: and as a side note, the apparent change in colour of the coin is IMO just a result of a change in lighting set up between now and when the original shots were taken some months ago. I will take a fresh before-shot for comparison in the future.

Before and after pics below

Edited by ttkoo
10/06/2022 9:07 pm

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Looking good!

I like how you are getting some circulation cameo after the treatment.

Thanks jbuck, I wonder sometimes if I am trashing these old coins by messing with the ravages of time. But for my mind they have already been trashed and it's like a rescue mission.
The next coin is going to take some time and finessing it's close to being a write-off.

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But for my mind they have already been trashed and it's like a rescue mission.

A logical conclusion.

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The next coin is going to take some time and finessing it's close to being a write-off.

Good luck!

Today's coin is the 1915H Australian half penny.
In hindsight I should have come to the conclusion that it wasn't a coin suitable for this type of restoration.
Some of the PVC damage and verdigris is too far gone and I have removed parts of the coin removing it.
Having said that, I don't have another example of this key date coin and didn't particularly want to part with 30 to 40 dollars for a coin of similar poor condition.
I see a slabbed MS63 on eBay ATM for a lowball AU$15,000....sheesh.
Anyway I gave it my best efforts and it does look improved. This one will be on my list to swap out.

1915H Australian Half Penny - Mintage 720,000 -Heaton & Sons - Birmingham, England

Pre treatment

Post treatment

I think it is a good looking hole filler.

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