Let's remove some verdigris, shall we?

Well, I believed everything you just wrote as I know CC leaves a film if it is not applied/used properly. However, I just did an experiment to confirm OUR belief. I put VC on the obverse of a hazy brown Uncirculated cent with a Q-Tip. It coated the coin and then started to ball up as if it was evaporating. I removed the VC with a cotton cloth and the cent was lustrous brown w/no trace of the VC.

I did the same thing to the other side using CC. The CC remained on the surface as a wet lake. Then I removed the CC with the cotton cloth. This side looked identical to the VC side. I know Large cent collectors like to use a camel's hair jewelers brush to remove haze and traces of chemical preservatives like CC. I did not need to do it for this experiment. I know CC leaves a film; however, this time (surprise, surprise ), I could not find it under the microscope.

So, the only difference I can see between either VC or CC is a large retail price spread. If you like VC and do not mind paying for it, it gets my approval as a preservative. I use other things to remove substances from coins. I use Care on a regular basis. Oily Film (?) an all.

 

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Although I've been taught to never clean coins. The coin magazine I subscribe to has changed my mind about this. Coinworld ran an article in the latter half of the year about how it could help your collection.

Having said that, I would never sell a coin that I've cleaned with any type of chemical. Perhaps maybe one lightly washed with water and some soap. But Id, personally never sell a coin that I rubbed, touched, scrubbed in any manner, without disclosing the "cleaned" status.

I have one exception, Id still sell a coin cavitated in a ultrasonic cleaner, provided that the coin goes in a plastic basket, and only water is used, prefferably distilled water...... although admittedly, I have used water from my Brita filter. Well ok most of the time I use this.

 

Cleaning coins is an odd religion.

 

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

You aren't the problem. The subsequent owners who resell the coin without mentioning it has been cleaned are.

Then again, if an expert can't tell a coin has been cleaned, has it?

 

AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE seems like I have said something similar.

 

This was my experiment with some Verdi care. Worked well

Soaked it for a few hours. Each side and the results speak for themselves.


Before

Soaking After

 

Too bad there isn't something to safely remove dark spots from lincoln cents. I have some nice 2009 lincolns I'd like to add to my type set but they have those awful copper/carbon spots. I've alternated between acetone and xylene with little improvement.

 

Absolute FACT. Existing verdigris can provide feed materials to accelerate/induce corrosion elsewhere. That said, verdigris can also be made virtually inactive by treatment. Neutralization of the corrosive verdigris acids by using base and subsequent dehydration with acetone can essentially halt the process.....or you can use a product like VC which contains inhibitors.

 

@SuperDave, what happen with your project? I'd like to see some side-by-side before/after pictures.

 

Ditto. I'd also like to see the article you were going to write over a year ago.

 

Backburnered in favor of higher momentary priorities (like the last project I backburnered for this one, and other shiny objects to shoot. ). I've three of the next four days off, and one of them is earmarked for finishing this project.

 

@SuperDave ever hear the expression "There are people in hell with good intentions"?

 

Nah, just living with ADHD.

O Look! A Shiny Object!

 

SQUIRREL!!!