Old coin cleaning HELP

[owena1]

So I just dug what looks to be a pretty old coin and I'm not entirely sure how to go about cleaning it. As you can see the sides are starting to crumble. Any suggestions?


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[Lodge Scent]

OK Owen, get ready for a thousand different opinions. Mine is to NOT run it under water....maybe just use a dry soft tooth brush to try and reveal some detail.

[del]

Owen , what damage done to the coin from the elements has already taken place.the dark crusty verdigris flaking off is not necessarily a bad thing , in fact i usually promote this on my recovered coins by placing it under a heat lamp to speed up the drying out process.

then i will use a wooden toothpick and easily remove the rest or as Lodge Scent mentioned use a soft toothbrush and dry brush it lightly to remove loose dirt. once the coin is bare of dirt is the time i inspect it for the next best method to preserve it and to try to id it and the variety if possible.

[owena1]

OK Owen, get ready for a thousand different opinions. Mine is to NOT run it under water....maybe just use a dry soft tooth brush to try and reveal some detail.

Thank you! Will brushing it potentially scrape off any detail?


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[owena1]

Owen , what damage done to the coin from the elements has already taken place.the dark crusty verdigris flaking off is not necessarily a bad thing , in fact i usually promote this on my recovered coins by placing it under a heat lamp to speed up the drying out process.

then i will use a wooden toothpick and easily remove the rest or as Lodge Scent mentioned use a soft toothbrush and dry brush it lightly to remove loose dirt. once the coin is bare of dirt is the time i inspect it for the next best method to preserve it and to try to id it and the variety if possible.

Thanks Dan. I currently have it in dish soap soaking but I trust your advice a lot more. Should I take it out and let it dry over night. I do not have a heat lamp unfortunately


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[fyrffytr1]

I have heard people say that they would let a crusty coin like yours lay on the dash of their vehicle for a couple days in the hot sun and the crud would pop right off. But, I am assuming you don't have that option right now either. Your next best option might be to put it in the oven on low heat for a while and see if that loosens the crud.

[owena1]

Owen , what damage done to the coin from the elements has already taken place.the dark crusty verdigris flaking off is not necessarily a bad thing , in fact i usually promote this on my recovered coins by placing it under a heat lamp to speed up the drying out process.

then i will use a wooden toothpick and easily remove the rest or as Lodge Scent mentioned use a soft toothbrush and dry brush it lightly to remove loose dirt. once the coin is bare of dirt is the time i inspect it for the next best method to preserve it and to try to id it and the variety if possible.

I lightly brushed most of the black off. Not really getting much of anything. Just a little around the edges. Look like little dots. I'm gonna leave it to dry out over night and finish it off tomorrow. Is there another step after getting the black layer off?


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[del]

Owen , even leaving it out under a regular light bulb overnight can dry it out or as fyrffytr1 mentioned placing it on a cookie sheet and putting in an oven (on the coolest setting) for about 15 or 20 minutes will dry it out or running it under a hair dryer for 10 or 15. If its flaking up around the edges the middle will be soon to follow. Like i said an easy tooth or picking with a wooden toothpick won't harm it and once you get the hang of "popping " the verdigris off its really pretty easy. once you have verdigris off you can inspect and assess how much damage the ground did to it .

Owen , I attached a picture of a coin with the dark verdigris still on if you look close you will see the edges are just starting to dry out and flake off . and the other picture is the same coin after all the crusty stuff has been removed with just a tooth pick .

[Digger_O'Dell]

I have tried pretty much every trick in the book with vastly different results. I'll talk copper coins here.
1) electrolytes is a no no!
2) peroxide bath works ok, but not my favorite. Slow, and don't get the results I like.
3) olive oil loosens dirt and crud over time, but leaves oil in the pores which can degrade the coin over time.
4) soaking in water or detergent and using a soft brush and toothpick is good, but time consuming. Not the best as it can leave a lot of dirt and verdigris behind.
5) An ultrasonic cleaner is great, but run too long it cleans TOO well! It will clean out every pore and make the coin look very dull with a sponge like texture.
6) My number one method is a lye soak. I found that lye based oven cleaner is cheap and easy to get. After a few hours to a day or so soaking, you get a cloud of gunk in the liquid around the coin. Then I wash it under the tap until all the lye is off. If there are loose chunks of verdigris they can be picked off or run the coin in the ultrasonic cleaner maybe 10 seconds tops. Then let the coin dry completely. Maybe a day or so or put in an oven on low for a bit. Remember to try not to handle it with bare hands, the oils will damage it over time like olive oil does. If it does get handled, wipe with alcohol to remove through oils. When dry, coat with Renwax. Once the wax is dried, the coin is sealed and can be handled some.

Hope this helps!

[owena1]

I have tried pretty much every trick in the book with vastly different results. I'll talk copper coins here.
1) electrolytes is a no no!
2) peroxide bath works ok, but not my favorite. Slow, and don't get the results I like.
3) olive oil loosens dirt and crud over time, but leaves oil in the pores which can degrade the coin over time.
4) soaking in water or detergent and using a soft brush and toothpick is good, but time consuming. Not the best as it can leave a lot of dirt and verdigris behind.
5) An ultrasonic cleaner is great, but run too long it cleans TOO well! It will clean out every pore and make the coin look very dull with a sponge like texture.
6) My number one method is a lye soak. I found that lye based oven cleaner is cheap and easy to get. After a few hours to a day or so soaking, you get a cloud of gunk in the liquid around the coin. Then I wash it under the tap until all the lye is off. If there are loose chunks of verdigris they can be picked off or run the coin in the ultrasonic cleaner maybe 10 seconds tops. Then let the coin dry completely. Maybe a day or so or put in an oven on low for a bit. Remember to try not to handle it with bare hands, the oils will damage it over time like olive oil does. If it does get handled, wipe with alcohol to remove through oils. When dry, coat with Renwax. Once the wax is dried, the coin is sealed and can be handled some.

Hope this helps!

That was a huge help. Thank you!! So I'm on the right track removing this black layer. Is it common to not be seeing anything right away?


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[Digger_O'Dell]

Yes, not uncommon at all. The coin could be corroded beyond saving, but you dont know until you try. I did forget to mention that the lye does not damage or remove the patina, so a big plus.