Advice On Cleaning Vicky Large Cents

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 1,938
KHatt Valued Member Canada 291 Posts	Posted 04/16/2018 8:56 pm I have a 1859 Large cent that I've identified as Haxby 52-J11, based on the vine details and the very characteristic large die crack in the R of GRATIA. 52-J11 is the Repunched 5 #2. However, none of the repuch details are visible because of dirt and "vicky crud" in all of the features. What's the best way to clean it, without impacting the surface? I'd prefer to avoid acetone if possible ... Thanks! Edited by KHatt 04/16/2018 9:07 pm Report this Post to the Staff

TheCoinHunter Pillar of the Community Canada 1461 Posts	Posted 04/16/2018 9:03 pm Tooth pic, patience and a gentle hand.... Report this Post to the Staff
SPP-Ottawa Moderator Canada 10458 Posts	Posted 04/16/2018 9:30 pm Try using a thorn, from a hawthornebush... or a cactus spine, something with a finer point to it... "Discovery follows discovery, each both raising and answering questions, each ending a long search, and each providing the new instruments for a new search." -- J. Robert Oppenheimer Content of this post is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses...0/deed.en_US My eBay store Report this Post to the Staff
okiecoiner Pillar of the Community Canada 5588 Posts	Posted 04/17/2018 03:28 am Agree with SPP. You have to be very careful with Vicky crud because it usually contains grit in the crud. If you use a Q-tip , toothbrush or other "wide" implement and it moves the grit around, you can get tiny scratches. Gently pick the largest accumulations with a hawthorne, rose or cactus spine that directly flips or picks it out, then use acetone soak or rinses to get the oily substances off. Last step should be to rinse thoroughly rinse with distilled water. I prefer hawthorn because they are easier to handle and can be resharpened and are nearly indestructible. Report this Post to the Staff
JeyRey2000 Pillar of the Community Canada 743 Posts	Posted 04/17/2018 09:02 am OKIE - wouldn't an acetone clean hurt the potential value of the coin? Report this Post to the Staff
okiecoiner Pillar of the Community Canada 5588 Posts	Posted 04/17/2018 10:14 am I've never had a problem with acetone affecting my coins, but I really repeat-dip rather than soak. Others have reported that acetone affected the color of the toning, but I think that it is a result of some other coating that was on the coin (previous cleaning/preservation) rather than the effect on the bronze itself. I ONLY clean coins that are REALLY covered in crap rather than making them look pretty. Only as a somewhat last resort, should you clean any coin. Report this Post to the Staff
colonialtokens Pillar of the Community United States 840 Posts	Posted 04/27/2018 1:02 pm I concur with the comments the above sages presented. But I draw the line with each individual coin. Their advise is great on higher grade coins having minimal crud. But on heavily crudded mid grade coins the time involved is not worth the effort. On such coins I use MS-70 and a soft bristle toothbrush to remove most of the crud; then rinse in hot water and dip in acetone. Then I may go after the stubborn areas with a spine or toothpick. And afterwards apply a thin coat of WD-40 to protect the surfaces. doug Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 6 / Views: 1,938

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