Cleaned My First Ancient Silver

So I have wanted a Volusian for sometime & after asking around I acquired this one extremely cheap. Only I had to do the cleaning. Asking other collectors most said it isnt a problem, just lemon juice and rubbing. So the coin arrives and the first thing I did was soak it in pure lemon juice . It didnt do much but discolor the green. I ended up using hot lemon juice next and that made the corrosion spot worse looking similar in photo two.

After more soaking and using just a little CLR on a q-tip and rubbing the coin with it, it removed the green instantly and some of the corrosion, which turned out to be hard copper.

Soaking the coin even more I then remembered I had a dental pick which I bought several years ago for cleaning ancients, never used it. So I start using it and it was removing more and more of the copper. I also used many toothpicks.

After two days this seems to be the best I can get it, seen in photo three. I have gotten the majority of the copper off and whats left is a few in the hard to pick devices and of course some discoloring. It looks much worse in the photo but I use a 5x loupe over an iphone 4s to take pics. Under plain eye site and different like angles its much cleaner.

Also it's weight 4.13g when I got it, after cleaning its down to 4.04g

So after this coin I am not sure I wanna tackle cleaning ancient silver again unless its a simple deposit or ugly toning which is easy to handle. This hard copper?,........

But I am happy

Alot of work for a footnote emperor in roman history!

Dealer Photo


Quick lemon juice soak and CLR q-tip wipe.


After 2 days of soaking and picking.



Volusian (251 - 253 A.D.)
AR Antoninianus
O:IMP C C VIB VOLVSIANVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
R: FELICITAS PVBL, Felicitas standing left, long caduceus in right, cornucopia in left.
Rome
23mm
4g
RIC IV (Gallus) 205; RSC 32.

 

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Nice.

Yeah, I am getting to the point I don't want to mess with it anymore either. Its a hobby, I would rather have someone better trained than I mess with cleaning them up.

 

Nice. Yeah I know what thats like, but I can't say I wouldn't do it again, just that I'm planing on not ever doing it

 

Looks good Mat.

 

i like the after 2 days result! you did a good job!

 

Lol, I am cheap enough to say you are right. I might find a screaming "deal".

Btw, heck of a job on that coin Randy. Great job!

 

ty
Theres still a few places I missed on it lol

 

Yeah, but you saved a POS Gordian. I wouldn't have. Heck, in the CICF pick boxes I bought almost all the silver in there EXCEPT for these. I only bought Gordian III if the coin was a really nice VF+. Run of the mill VF- I wasn't wasting my $18 on.

 

I think AR Gordian III coins should be in their own "Take a Gordian/Leave A Gordian" tray at local retail shops next to the pennies. There is just too many of them :/

 

LOL This is the perfect activity for someone with an obsessive compulsive disorder like Trichotillomania or Dermatillomania.

I think you did a fine job here, I'd be nervous cleaning alloyed coins.
I presume you researched the planchet type for this exact minting: what's the best guide for that?

Total noob here, just curious.

 

I just had the before picture and asked long time collectors & a few dealers what the best approach ould be.

I have 2 bronze ancients with silver wash on them that could probably be cleaned better but I am afraid of taking the silver wash off so the gunk stays.

 

Sometimes, Mat, its best just to take it off. If its really splotchy now anyway, taking it off improves the coin in my eyes.

I agree the silver wash coins are the WORST.

 

I presume the alloys/planchets are highly variable, even for same issues or sides/parts of the same coin.
Do invisible fissures and chemical reactions lead to a %age Fail rate, even in professional cleaning efforts (for 'somewhat iffy' crustals)?
I also imagine that would be a huge bummer, when it happens.

 

Most crusties are simply corroded garbage. Most good coins come out of the ground as recognizable good coins, they just need some dirt removed.

But yeah, bad things can happen over age. I have had silve coins that were so brittle they just broke. No, I didn't drop them, they just cracked. Bums you out, but it can happen rarely.

The alloys were not that variable. The coins were are discussing are just notorious for being hard to clean. How the silver got washed on the outside is a whole other discussion. Interesting though. It just makes "silver" coins from 250-300 troublesome.

 

Gordian only cost me $12. I leave silvered coins alone too, don't wana take anything off.

 

The end result look pretty good Mat, how many hours did you invest in the cleaning?

 

Between the soaking and then picking the stuff off, about 3 hours total which isnt bad to save $40+ it would have cost to get a cleaned one.

 

Ancients....the only branch of numismatics where cleaning is condoned and often necessary. LOL

You did a nice job, the coin was definately a mess. It's interesting to see that much verdigris on a "silver" coin.

 

I was thinking of using some of the verdi-care but I didnt think it would do much with that much stuff on it.

Works on some of my ancient bronzes though & none have gotten new spots on them.:thumb:

 

Yea, VC won't touch that heavy stuff. It's definately not designed for that.