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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,247 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1590 Posts |
For the last year I have been picking up green IHC"s out of the dime box at the local Coin shop. Some are evenly toned and kinda attractive. However; I know they are considered corroded and to most people worthless.As such I decided to play around with them and see if I can do anything with them. Now before I ask, I know I am going to get a thousand and one replies "never clean a coin". Right, got it. But remember these were dirt encrusted, verdegis covered pennies that were never going to go into an album anyway. I am posting a pic of one of "successes". I have about a 20 percent rate of achieving the result in the pic. On the others as soon as the layer of corrosion is gone, the exposed surface is pockmarked. So two questions. The first is; is there any interest in green toned IHC's? Second is, what is your opinion on this coin? Yes, I know; once a clean coin, always a cleaned coin. And yes I know I will get "worth 1 cent" . I hand these out to kids in my Coin Collecting Merit Badge Classes. They get excited at getting something that old, and who knows maybe some of them will stick with it.   Edited by jmkendall
09/11/2011 9:26 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1590 Posts |
Oh, that mark on the neck is a piece of lint. I just noticed it!
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Valued Member
United States
438 Posts |
Do not clean, conserve. Nobody wants a green verdigris covered coin. There is a product called Verdi-Care that a member of this forum has developed. It is made not to clean coins, but to conserve them. It removes part of the verdigris, and neutralizes it to stop it from growing and continuing to eat away at the coin. Then it creates a protective layer surrounding the coin that is only a few atoms thick. Used by many people on this forum, read about it here http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/pro...di-care.html |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1590 Posts |
By the way. I have had extensive training on corrosion control. These coins are chemically processed and a brush never touches them. It can take a couple of weeks to get them to the point you see above. I do consider them conserved as the corrosion has been nullified and a protective layer applied. However; I know that most people on these boards see anything that changes the appearance of a coin as cleaning. Acetone excepted, for the most part!
Thanks the tip Kyle, I may just give it a try.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Do you have some before pictures? The after pics look reasonably good, at least the coin still has a nice chocolate patina.
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Moderator
 United States
16677 Posts |
I'm actually impressed with the results. When you say chemically processed, what exactly do you mean? Can you do before and after pictures?
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3278 Posts |
Quote:The first is; is there any interest in green toned IHC's? Depends on the date  I think the coin you've shown is quite nice, I don't know what it looked like before but I'd say nice job getting rid of the verdigis |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1590 Posts |
The next time I will take some before pics. I just thought about the question tonight while I was putting away my Pennies.
I actually would not even consider doing this to a key date. I might give Verdi-Care a try.
I don't really want to give out my recipe. Not that its a secret. But some people might be tempted to replicate my work and totally ruin an otherwise good coin. I will say it is not one Chemical. It is a process, with a lot of steps. Not hard, just time consuming and requiring a fair of amount of patience!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
968 Posts |
Looks great to me! I do a lot of metal detecting and have some coins in pretty sorry shape. I've been thinking of experimenting with some of the no-value wheats and pre 1982 memorials to see if I can find a method that works. That way when I find something worth while someday that seems hopeless I can give it a try.
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
Remember, there are three or more kinds of green: - Hard - Verdigris. Leaves pits, can be stopped by Bad Thad's moonshine.
- Slime - PVC. Can eat the surface, best treated with acetone. Caused by plasticizers in holders.
- Spongy - Leather. Can be on any coin composition. Use acetone or a thorn. Usually is laying on the surface from where a purse deteriorated.
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Valued Member
United States
450 Posts |
Olive oil works wonders as well.....
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
Even though collectors of ancients swear by olive oil, modern conservationists point out that even evoo can contain acids and unknown substances.
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,247 |
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Posted 09/11/2011 9:48 pm
