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Old 07-04-2009, 08:27 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Un-cleaning coins?

I have a few Walkers that are definitely cleaned, probably harshly. They have many many multiple hairlines and the 'luster', such that it is, runs all over the place, from the field through the device and back into the field. Is it possible to undo the damage? I guess undo is the wrong word, I know it can not be undone, but can it be made 'better' as such? I figure these are good experimental coins, maybe?

Yes I'm bored and want to use power tools

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Old 07-04-2009, 08:45 PM   #2 (permalink)
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A Time machine usually works for un-screwing things.

I'm working real hard on mine right now.


oH~I got a new guitar this week,too. A Lap Steel! Now I've got to find out how to tune it.
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Old 07-04-2009, 08:58 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Is it possible to undo the damage? ... I know it can not be undone, but can it be made 'better' as such?
You know you are stuck with the problem. US coins are so well known, and understood so deeply, by US collectors that anything you do to the coin will be identified. Period.

So, do as little as possible. If you have an old wooden cabinet or dresser, you can leave the coins there to naturally retone.

That's about as good as it gets. With older coins, ancients, especially, BU luster, flow lines, and all of that are not expected, so a little artificial toning to remediate a harsh cleaning is not the end of the world for that coin.

Your problem, however, must remain as it is.
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Old 07-04-2009, 09:13 PM   #4 (permalink)
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You can carry the coins in your pocket with a few others to let them wear a bit.
Coins are designed for this type of treatment and some normal wear may wear off the evidence of cleaning through frequent contact with other coins. Of course, your MS coin might become EF, or the EF might become VF, but that is the only way I know to "improve" a cleaned coin.
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Old 07-04-2009, 09:23 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by mmarotta View Post
You know you are stuck with the problem. US coins are so well known, and understood so deeply, by US collectors that anything you do to the coin will be identified. Period.

So, do as little as possible. If you have an old wooden cabinet or dresser, you can leave the coins there to naturally retone.

That's about as good as it gets. With older coins, ancients, especially, BU luster, flow lines, and all of that are not expected, so a little artificial toning to remediate a harsh cleaning is not the end of the world for that coin.

Your problem, however, must remain as it is.
Not quite true. Flow lines are a must and, in fact, the most effective way of separating genuine from fake coins. BU luster is sometimes present, but is more often than not eroded by the long time in the ground. Most of the artificial toning done on ancients is created after removal of extreme encrustation of some sort. Trust me, it is indistinguishable from stone and a miracle that it can be removed at all! Of course, that's not to say there aren't workshops out there turning beautiful gray denarii into blast white ones.

To the OP, the only way to fix these coins is to wear them down until the hairlines disappear. Of course, you will then have a lower grade coin.
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Old 07-04-2009, 09:35 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Here are the donor coins:
#1
donor-1.jpg
#2
donor-2.jpg
#3 ( I was thinking I'd leave this one alone since it is starting to re-tone)
donor-3.jpg

As Ardatirion said what I really want to do is remove the hairlines and let them re-tone. I figure I have nothing to lose at this point, and I love to experiment. And since I'm stuck at home with an upper respiratory infection I need something to do with coins I'm into for melt.
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Old 07-05-2009, 08:44 PM   #7 (permalink)
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To the OP, the only way to fix these coins is to wear them down until the hairlines disappear. Of course, you will then have a lower grade coin.
What is the fastest way to do this, I was thinking my Dremal would work well
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Old 07-05-2009, 08:48 PM   #8 (permalink)
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What is the fastest way to do this, I was thinking my Dremal would work well
Um, that would actually be whizzing the coins. There is no fast way. You will have to carry the coins everyday as pocket pieces for months to get the desired results.
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Old 07-06-2009, 03:48 PM   #9 (permalink)
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Please step away from the power grinder.

I would suggest carrying them in your pocket. It will take some time (weeks/months) and you will likely wear away some detail, but the hairlines should also be worn away and/or become much less noticable.
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Old 07-06-2009, 04:57 PM   #10 (permalink)
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Please step away from the power grinder.

I would suggest carrying them in your pocket. It will take some time (weeks/months) and you will likely wear away some detail, but the hairlines should also be worn away and/or become much less noticable.
You guys are no fun At least I wasn't thinking of pulling out the 27,000 rpm pneumatic die grinder. Would it be the same effect if I put one in a pants pocket every time I threw a pair of pants in the dryer?
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Old 07-06-2009, 05:01 PM   #11 (permalink)
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Get your fingers a little wet, and rub baking soda on the coins
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Old 07-06-2009, 06:01 PM   #12 (permalink)
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If you are going to experiment, use something that will not itself leave scratch lines. I would suggest diamond dust paste in 5,000 grit upward from a lapidary shop or ebay, or use a plastic repair kit that removes scratches from plastic. The alumina oxide is very carefully meshed to not leave other than extremely small microscopic scratches. Put the coin and agent in a small ziplock and keep it in your pant pockets for a while.

Come to think of it, the plastic scratch remover I used in a different thread on polishing scratches out of slabs would work. The key is to remove the obvious scratches, but not so much activity to "polish" the coin. Thin line.
Theoretical solution, your mileage may vary.

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Old 07-06-2009, 09:26 PM   #13 (permalink)
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If you are going to experiment, use something that will not itself leave scratch lines. I would suggest diamond dust paste in 5,000 grit upward from a lapidary shop or ebay, or use a plastic repair kit that removes scratches from plastic. The alumina oxide is very carefully meshed to not leave other than extremely small microscopic scratches. Put the coin and agent in a small ziplock and keep it in your pant pockets for a while.

Come to think of it, the plastic scratch remover I used in a different thread on polishing scratches out of slabs would work. The key is to remove the obvious scratches, but not so much activity to "polish" the coin. Thin line.
Theoretical solution, your mileage may vary.

Jim
When you say paste, is it water based or is it just "dust"? I'm not so found of putting paste in my pocket, if the bag bursts it will look like I front sharted, or something

I think I remember the other thread, I think it is this one.
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Old 07-06-2009, 10:03 PM   #14 (permalink)
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I would put in album and leave out in a moderatedly warm humid area a short while. Then store as you normally would. You'll enjoy and they will get better the more you look at them. Some disagree with this advice but it has actually work very well for my coins.
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Old 07-06-2009, 10:09 PM   #15 (permalink)
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Diamond dust ( grit ) is in a oil based matrix such as Vaseline. This is because diamond sticks to the oil and thus allows a surface of it to exist. Alumina oxide generally is suspended in water based solutions on a polishing lap. The Kit "scratch out" says not to get on paint, so I gather it is a wax/petroleum based, but I am not sure. I guess any kind of light random movement would do. I would just take it along with me when I go walking and move it between my fingers. Again, this is an experiment, nothing promised.

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