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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,978 |
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Valued Member
United Arab Emirates
283 Posts |
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!
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Moderator
 Australia
16829 Posts |
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
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
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 
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Valued Member
 United Arab Emirates
283 Posts |
Thanks guys, it seems like I wont take them to the coin gathering.
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Forum Dad
 United States
24161 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2781 Posts |
take what you have in its current condition. it should generate discussion and maybe others will learn something to.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
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.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
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.
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Moderator
 Australia
16829 Posts |
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
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Valued Member
 United Arab Emirates
283 Posts |
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 :)
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,978 |
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