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 Replies: 15 / Views: 1,831 |
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Valued Member
United States
220 Posts |
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Honestly, in your shoes I'd throw each into their own jigger glass of olive oil and forget about them for a year or so. Seriously. I've done it. This one was unreadable when I started:   |
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Moderator
United States
16679 Posts |
Yup, agree. Olive oil and forget about them :-)
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Rest in Peace
United States
4078 Posts |
How does the olive oil make this technique work? Please keep it simple I'm no Biokemist6   Thanks thryan9 for posting this. Edited by bpoc1
02/18/2015 3:33 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
The copper Hard Times Token can be saved but the Civil War Token is most likely tin and the corrosion is advanced so that one would not have much room for improvement. Olive oil is mildly acidic and works fairly well for removing light verdigris. The downside is that the acidity can vary between grades and brands of oil and it is organic so the oil can become rancid which could have deleterious effects on a soaking coin.
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Rest in Peace
United States
4078 Posts |
Thanks Biokemist6, I did not know olive oil was acidic. Sitting around for a year in olive oil the smell would kill me. lol
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Yeah, it's that slight acidity which does the trick. Use Extra Virgin oil - I should have mentioned that - for its' purity and relatively low acid content.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19949 Posts |
The zinc token is a goner, the corrosion is just too heavy. The copper one only has a light verdigris film, it could be removed with VERDI-CARE™ in a matter of minutes.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19949 Posts |
....or you can soak it olive oil forever and it might remove the verdigris. However, it will also permanently alter the patina.
I've outlined the problems with using oils on coins many times. Try a forum search.
Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
....or you can soak it olive oil forever and it might remove the verdigris. However, it will also permanently alter the patina.
I've outlined the problems with using oils on coins many times. Try a forum search. ....or you could look at the physical evidence I posted above and understand there are no absolutes. Verdicare is probably better for this specific situation than olive oil, but it would never have penetrated what was on that IHC. It's (deliberately and correctly) not strong enough. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Might depend on if you have things like Olive Oil around. If not, purchasing Virgin Olive Oil can be a bit expensive. And to soak a coin in it and possibly no results could just be a waste of money and time. Although the IHC could end up being about a $10 coin if it works. Same with an attempt with Acetone. Then naturally there is always the Tomato sauce or Lemon Juice or Vinegar or anything else you already have that is sort of Acidic. Some would even try Baking Soda and water. Hopefully this is a coin you need. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
4078 Posts |
Quote:
The copper one only has a light verdigris film, it could be removed with VERDI-CARE™ in a matter of minutes. I have a bottle sitting on my desk. Best bet for most coins. Quote:
Might depend on if you have things like Olive Oil around. If not, purchasing Virgin Olive Oil can be a bit expensive. Just Carl, there is a big difference in price for olive oil but a great use in cooking. |
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Valued Member
 United States
220 Posts |
So what about tin? What is the best method to work on tin corrosion, if there are any?
These coins are not worth a lot, but that makes them great candidates for working on.
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
These coins are not worth a lot, but that makes them great candidates for working on. Which is exactly why I'm throwing out random ideas instead of pointing you straight to Thad. If there is numismatic value at stake, Verdicare is the only product for this job. Note that the IHC posted above looks far better than it did, but it's plainly been cleaned. For the record, it's been years since I did that and the coin is completely unchanged. |
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Valued Member
United States
220 Posts |
Right, I use verdi-care all the time. Indispensable. But sometimes I come across something a little too far gone for that.
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Verdicare will do better for these, quicker than olive oil. But that's no fun. Gotta be able to say you did this once, as a numismatist. A story you can tell when the subject comes up.  |
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Replies: 15 / Views: 1,831 |
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Posted 02/18/2015 2:59 pm
