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 Replies: 38 / Views: 3,945 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10038 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
1028 Posts |
I suppose you've already started doing something with it so it's kind of a moot point. My feeling is that anything severe enough to get that much black material off the coin will leave the coin looking ridiculous. I suppose it's your own personal preference as to what you would rather see on this coin. As is....or as could....either way I don't see it having much value unfortunately.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1536 Posts |
Be careful with acetone on coppers, they can discolor but it is said this happens due to a reaction between copper, acetone, and florescent light. Best bet is to soak the coin in acetone in the dark, close your shades and put it in the acetone than put it in a dark place. Distilled water and verd-care are the most unreactive substances to use on copper and I will use that but I am unsure that will due much for that coin. I would soak it in distilled water and then put a small amount of verdicare on an old t-shirt and spin the coin on it and see if it will help but I don't think it will help too much.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1795 Posts |
I agree Go for it. Anything got to be better than what it is now! So Dark it is. Wow
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1536 Posts |
If it was my coin, I would first soak it several days in distilled. I had some Indian heads with unattractive color like that and saw improvements after that and dipped them in Verdicare afterward.
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
Quote:
If it was my coin, I would first soak it several days in distilled. I had some Indian heads with unattractive color like that and saw improvements after that and dipped them in Verdicare afterward Good advice. If that does not work, it's a lost cause IMO. swcoin.ecrater.com
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Valued Member
United States
153 Posts |
wow, I can't believe the success you had conserving this coin! Congratulations  |
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Valued Member
 United States
111 Posts |
Haha, not quite like the one above  . I am a little disappointed. While the coin did lighten up a little bit, it still looks basically the same (it is not enough difference for my camera to show). I guess this means that the coin has just toned this dark over time and there isn't anything on the surface of the coin making it look like this other than it's natural toning. Oh well... I have gotten rid of my curiosity wondering if I could make this coin look valuable. |
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Moderator
United States
189117 Posts |
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I'd soak it in acetone for a few hours ... then thoroughly rinse it under running water and pat dry with a clean, lint-free terrycloth. Never rinse with water. Always rinse with fresh acetone, which will dry on its own with no need to pat dry with anything. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1536 Posts |
I was thinking that this coin is actually copper-nickel isn't it? That may change things as far as using acetone. I am thinking more about coins that are mostly or all copper. Of course if that is toning nothing may lighten that up without doing something harsh like soaking it in vinegar, something you may not want to do. The only time I used that was a 1949 dime that had think gunk where the mint mark was and needed to know it to put into my Whitman book.
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Moderator
United States
16679 Posts |
Yup, copper-nickel.
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Valued Member
United States
111 Posts |
What would vinegar due to the coin? Would it completely remove all toning and make the coin really shiny or maybe just lighten the toning?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1536 Posts |
I think that on copper coins it would turn them orange but this isn't a copper coin, it is copper-nickel like many foreign coin. White vinegar took off thick caked on gunk that acetone wouldn't budge but I think that it removes toning. You will have to Google that.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1536 Posts |
This is from eHow.com "Distilled white vinegar, that housecleaning standard, will strip away the tarnish or patina that copper coins acquire with time and use. Mix half a cup of vinegar with a teaspoon of salt and drop in the pennies. They will lose their dullness and brown color and look newly minted very quickly." Source: The Effect of Vinegar on Coins | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8533228_ef...xzz2L14XNR6M |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10038 Posts |
The eHow reference might work, but also remember the old trick of using a pencil eraser to make pennies look shiny is also something that non-numismatists think is a great idea to make pennies look "new," when, in fact, coin collectors can tell the eraser-damaged cents are nowhere near a true color/look. I think I would somehow test the eHow idea before trying it on your cent. Of course there is one other thing to consider here. If the condition of a coin as it sits nullifies any value it would have had, then I do not mind making it look presentable by cleaning it. At least then I have a decent looking, worthless coin.  I did this recently to an impaired proof JFK haf from circulation. It was only worth .50, but now it has shiny surfaces like it used to, and is still worth .50. |
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Replies: 38 / Views: 3,945 |
First Page
Posted 02/13/2013 10:09 pm
