Cleaning Question

Pictures would certainly be helpful.

First a couple of pointers.

Electrolysis - NO. This will ruin your coins.

"You should never clean coins" - Incorrect, most ancients need to be cleaned otherwise they look like rocks. Modern coins should not be cleaned.

Sand patinas. There are theories that most are fake. They cover up imperfections in the surface of the coin. I have a couple, the sand highlights the legend and some of the detail, I won't clean that off.

Don't be tempted by rock tumblers.

Now to cleaning
There are no shortcuts and patience is your greatest friend here.

Plastic tubs (preferably with lids).
Distilled water or de-ionised or de-mineralized water (not from the tap/faucet)

Cover the coins (a few to a tub) with the water and leave for several days, give it a shake once in a while, change the water if it becomes cloudy.

Get a cheap toothbrush and cut the bristles in half (does not need to be a neat job)

Use the toothbrush to brush the coin(s) and put back into soak, changing the water if cloudy.

The theory is that minerals with leach out of the coins and into the water. It will make the dirt easier to remove.

The dirt has been attached to the coin for (usually) around 1700 years. It is not going to give up without a fight.

You can also use toothpicks or bamboo to scrape the surface.

Sharper utensils (I use a scalpel) can be used in the future, but you need to walk before you run.

Stay away from brass brushes. We hear frequently that they won't damage the coin, maybe they won't, they WILL damage the patina. If you want to try them in the future, that is fine, but get to grips with the basics first.

There is a lot of rubbish on the internet and sent out on DVDs. Please ask on the forum if you want to try something specific, we will tell you whether it is OK or not.

In addition to all that pish said, when you've finished soaking the coins and are content that they're clean, you'll need to dry them. I've seen it recommended to set your oven to 220 and put them in for 10 - 20 minutes. That seems to work.

Sorry for the late photos. This is the main coin I am trying to clean. The quality photos may not be the best since I'm not too familiar with the image optimizer. You may not be able to tell from the photo but there is visible writing above the head. The coin was wet when I photographed it so it might be difficult to see the very nice, clean detail of the top of the head. This is a rather large coin (sestertius? forgive my ignorance since I'm still new with Roman coins).

I guess my question is not so much about the identification yet but how should I go about cleaning this specific coin?

what pish said.

when you brus it is "stuff" coming off? or when wet and your rub it with fingers does stuff come off? if no, move up to toothpick and see if you can get gunk to yield.

Some coins clean up quicker than others, it depends upon the composition of the crud. Some can take months, some years. Patience is your best friend. Remember to change the water when it becomes cloudy.

With the coin pictured I would personally go straight to oil. Soak and pick, soak and pick, soak and pick. Another method with a coin of that type full of crud but with good detail underneath it, to try and break the crud from the surface, is to cool it down as much as you can then heat it up. Because the scuzz on the coin doesn't expand as much as the metal coin, a lot of the scuzz loosens from the metal surface. I used to buy bulk loads of uncleaned romans and have had great results doing that. Once the bulk of crap is removed, soak and pick, soak and pick.