Olive Oil & Copper Coins

Consensus sought:
Is an olive oil soak safe and useful for removing crud from mint state copper coins?

 

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Verdi-care!

 

I tried soaking one (as a test) and it made it look like it had been acid washed in about a day.

 

I would try acetone 1st.

 

I'd say distilled water first, acetone second.

Olive oil is slightly acidic.
Using it means you are no longer removing crud; you have stepping into the coin cleaning realm.

 

Your honor, I move that answer be stricken from the record as non-responsive.

 

Huh?

 

I didn't ask if Verdi-care worked.
I asked if olive oil was safe and effective.
Try to pay attention!

 

Not on mint state copper, as the acidity level , mentioned by rlm can vary from almost none to high at bottling due to the variety, crop/seasonal conditions, processing and storage. After the container had been opened and some used for other purposes, such as cooking, the formation of acid increases due to the oxygen and some light.

Too many variables for me and I could actually measure the pH, but I would stick with the organic chemicals mentioned, and be very unlikely to use even there on BU copper, as even a small amount of acid would remove the thin natural patina that is probably on every coin that is more than a year old. If it already a new "pink" cent, then it probably wouldn't hurt, but then they would be unlikely to need it

Jim

 

I found isopropyl alcohol to be safe. It doesn't require as much rinsing as olive oil; I use olive oil to remove crap from ancient coins, though :thumb:

 

You could always experiment on Copper memorials first

 

On junk copper, my friend (who has 1800+ varieties in his cent collection) has found a number of discovery coins. He cooks all his cents.

Now in answer to your question. Nope, it don;t work good at all. At least it didn't for me. I ruined some scarce Austrailian copper with olive oil. I won't use it on anything but really cruddy Indian Head Cents's.

 

I use virgin olive oil all the time on really old coppers, usually detector finds dug from the ground, cartwheel pennies, tokens 1600 - 1700`s etc, and even some early 19th century copper coinage.
I`ve soaked stuff that was lightly affected for about a week with good results
I`ve soaked some more seriously affected items upto a year.

 

With all due respect, Detecto old top, a person who advises using a rock tumbler to clean coins is not someone whose counsel I would seek on the subject of cleaning coins.