Dug this out today along with a few other nice relics ( i will post later) looking for advice on how clean/preserve, I know it all comes down to current condition, This ones fresh dug, i did rub it alittle to remove some dirt, second one from this siteother one was toasted!
I recommend dry cleaning only. Careful tooth picking and tooth brushing. No liquids. Preserve with Renaissance wax if you can get it.
Nice find.
Oldest find: 5,000 year old copper spearhead
Oldest coin: 1699 William III halfpenny
Purdiest coin: 1832 Capped Bust quarter
Coolest find: USA button with blue threads still on shank
"He who would search for pearls must dive below."
Lodge, thank you for your advice I started the process last night but it appears that it is low on details, I will update with a pic when I complete the process, I do own renaissance wax its a must for the relics havnt applied it to any coins though.
It's great on coins too. For coppers with fragile patinas and little details left, I will leave some of the dirt on the coin and just put the wax over the dirt. Sometimes the dirt is the only "patina" left on the coin. I'd rather have a dirty coin with some details than a clean one with none.
Oldest find: 5,000 year old copper spearhead
Oldest coin: 1699 William III halfpenny
Purdiest coin: 1832 Capped Bust quarter
Coolest find: USA button with blue threads still on shank
"He who would search for pearls must dive below."
I agree totally on that statement , I usually dont sell coins ive found they are for my collection only so i only try and get as much detail as I can with little cleaning and present them “as is”
Congrats on the oldie! I've given up cleaning anything.I just run relics and coins under water for a second then store them. I'll let my heirs worry about it
On Instagram- oxshoedrew
When I find a copper or large cent i'll place it by itself in a container (with some paper towel or foam) to keep it from bouncing around with other finds. In hopes it will thoroughly dry out on its own and by dry out I mean the crusty outer layer crumbles or flakes off by itself. This draped bust had a layer of dirt on it but in a couple of hours it all fell away leaving the surface I could work with .If the dirt is still on when I get home I will use a toothpick to gently free the dirt from the surface , if its really on there or stubborn I may soak the coin in water and then place it under a heat lamp or high watt flood bulb to where the coin actually gets hot to the touch , this speeds the drying out process and can remove the dirt. If its still not budging I will use a hot peroxide bath to remove it .
Dan
"Honesty is an expensive gift ,
so don't expect it from cheap people"
XP Deus II , DFX ,TDI sl -
Click here to view my finds album
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