Remove Horn Silver Without Damage - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 5,328
AlRashid Valued Member Canada 167 Posts	Posted 11/19/2018 11:47 am Hi Guys Does anyone knows what is best way to remove the black patches of horn silver without damage/ affect the surface beneath it? The coin I like to do this is below: Report this Post to the Staff

Finn235 Pillar of the Community United States 6130 Posts	Posted 11/19/2018 11:57 am Can't be done. Horn silver is the original silver, chemically bonded to minerals from the soil. At best, once you scraped it off, all that would be left underneath is smooth silver from the core of the coin. Doing so would ruin the coin's value. Report this Post to the Staff
AlRashid Valued Member Canada 167 Posts	Posted 11/19/2018 12:01 pm Thanks alot Finn, but leaving it will not get worse right? Is there anything I need to know about preserving condition of such coin? I just don't want it get worse and breaks etc. Report this Post to the Staff
Ben Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 4208 Posts	Posted 11/19/2018 12:23 pm Here is a thread with some comments about dealing with horn silver: http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/in...?topic=654.0 There is firm disagreement between people on what horn silver can do to a coin. A lot of people say it is inert, while others say it progresses. I am yet to try treating horn silver, but I reckon I would be tempted to treat this one. Report this Post to the Staff
AlRashid Valued Member Canada 167 Posts	Posted 11/19/2018 12:49 pm Thanks Ben. I appreciate your help and providing the link. I am also tempted to remove but donr want damage it. If it does not get worse I am happy to keep it as it is though. By the way, what do you guys think of this nero coin? Is the encrustation a horn silver? Is it easy to remove these? Report this Post to the Staff
echizento Moderator United States 23731 Posts	Posted 11/19/2018 2:31 pm As Finn stated there really isn't anything that can be done without damaging the coin. An acetone soak for a minute or two might help clean some of the dirt off but anything beyond that is not recommended. Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 16845 Posts	Posted 11/19/2018 5:14 pm Horn silver is silver chloride. So long as the silver is relatively pure (as it should be for an early Sassanian drachm) and the coin is kept away from sources of chloride in an acidic or oxidizing environment (eg. being buried again in salty, acidic soil) it should not spread further. "Bronze disease" on bronze coins (or on debased silver coins) can spread because it is mostly composed of hydroxides; it can suck everything it needs to spread out of moist air. 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 Report this Post to the Staff
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