Coin Community Family of Web Sites Join Thousands of Coin, Bullion, & Money Collectors
Royal Canadian Mint products, Canadian, Polish, American, and world coins and banknotes. Join Thousands of Coin, Bullion, & Money Collectors Coin, Banknote and Medal Collectors's Online Mall Shop for APMEX Bullion on eBay!300,000 items to help build your collection! Specializing in Modern Numismatics Vancouvers #1 Coin and Paper Money Dealer








Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?


This page may contain links that result in small commissions to keep this free site up and running.

Welcome Guest! Registering and/or logging in will remove the anchor (bottom) ads. It's Free!

Any Way Of Cleaning Ancient Coins Very Fast?

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.
Author Previous TopicReplies: 9 / Views: 1,978Next Topic  
Valued Member
Pheroow's Avatar
United Arab Emirates
283 Posts
 Posted 06/13/2013  04:37 am Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add Pheroow to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Hey guys,
before telling me this, I do know that ancient coins need patience while cleaning, but this is something else.
So, here I go. Tomorrow I'm getting a batch of 50 uncleaned ancient greek and roman coins, and I was wondering whether there is any way I can clean an ancient coin in less than a day. And that is because after tomorrow early in the morning, I'm attending a small gathering of coin collector where we exchange coins or sell and buy them.
I have wooden toothpicks for removing the dirt carefully, but what about giving them fine details, and removing the excessive dirt before going with the toothpick? Also, is there a way to give it a nice touch, polish or whatever that will make it shine between the coins? (not literally shine)
Thanks in advance!
Moderator
Learn More...
Sap's Avatar
Australia
16829 Posts
 Posted 06/13/2013  08:21 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Sap to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
There are ways to clean an uncleaned ancient coin quickly, such as electrolysis and strong chemicals (acids or alkalis). Unfortunately, they very often destroy the fine details one is attempting to preserve and bring out. The only way to be sure not to cause such damage is to use the slow and steady techniques such as long deionized water or olive oil soaks.

Ancients collectors generally like their coins to look their age. That means preserving as much of the original oxide layer, or "patina", as possible. The super-fast cleaning methods I outlined above will destroy the patina. An ancient coin stripped all the way down to bare metal is a sad and ugly thing.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
Pillar of the Community
Ben's Avatar
United Kingdom
4208 Posts
 Posted 06/13/2013  3:24 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Ben to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Sorry bud, there is no way of cleaning them without destroying them in one day. It takes patience. One day is enough to prep them to show details enough for trade and ID. You may be lucky, the dirt could be very loose or a 'sand patina' which doesn't need removing. Any fast method is prone to destroying the coin - a quickish method is using a soft copper brush to remove the dirt, but I have found this quite destructive. If you wish to risk it, try it with one coin from the lot, if successful it should be alright for the rest as they are probably from the same area - first, give em a soak in olive oil for as long as possible. Then, remove the oil with white spirit/acetone, then distilled water overnight and try the brush in the morning. the olive oil will loosen the dirt (but may weaken the patina ever so slightly) and the water will remove the ions which cause BD and help dislodge the dirt.

OH and
Valued Member
Pheroow's Avatar
United Arab Emirates
283 Posts
 Posted 06/13/2013  11:18 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Pheroow to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks guys, it seems like I wont take them to the coin gathering.
Forum Dad
Learn More...
bobby131313's Avatar
United States
24161 Posts
 Posted 06/13/2013  11:21 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add bobby131313 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Any-Way-Of-Cleaning-Ancient-Coins-Very-Fast?

Pillar of the Community
Wade's Avatar
Canada
2781 Posts
 Posted 06/14/2013  01:00 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Wade to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
take what you have in its current condition. it should generate discussion and maybe others will learn something to.
Bedrock of the Community
sel_69l's Avatar
Australia
21788 Posts
 Posted 06/14/2013  02:41 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add sel_69l to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Sap: Many is the time I have seen genuine ancient silver coins with a bright silvery surface that is in the process of slow re patination. Perhaps these have been dug up, and have had the 'quick' treatment, albeit applied by professionals.
Before such coins are cleaned, they can be almost unrecognisable enough, not to be able to be identified properly.

I have seen quite a few ancient silver coins pass through leading auctions, that seem to have been treated by the 'quick' method, perhaps many decades ago.
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts
 Posted 06/14/2013  11:20 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add just carl to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I would consider just dipping in Acetone if available. Othere than that, I'd be carefull since as already stated, originality may be worth more than a nice pretty, cleaned coin.
Moderator
Learn More...
Sap's Avatar
Australia
16829 Posts
 Posted 06/14/2013  7:41 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Sap to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
A lot of ancient coins have needed harsh "quick" treatment, because the slow, traditional cleaning methods simply have not worked in getting off particularly nasty gunk. Silver coins buried in a salty environment, for example, can develop "horn silver" which needs particularly aggressive cleaning. It is "safer" to completely strip patina from silver coins, because silver patina isn't particularly deep and you don't tend to lose details when you strip it, like you do for the thick patina on bronze coins.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
Valued Member
Pheroow's Avatar
United Arab Emirates
283 Posts
 Posted 06/19/2013  1:00 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Pheroow to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thank you guys for the replies.
I really appreciate it.
I have taken them to the coin gathering. But first, I gave them a fast dip on olive oil for less than a day, and then brushed them with very soft brass brush, just to make the details identifiable.
People liked it a lot and I had a few nice exchanges.
Thanks again guys :)
  Previous TopicReplies: 9 / Views: 1,978Next Topic  

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.



    




Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us  |  Advertise Here  |  Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum © 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Forums
It took 0.32 seconds to rattle this change. Forums