Hello everyone, a while back on this forum I identified an ancient Isreali coin asa prutah of King Herold, Hendin 1175. Minted in Jerusalem 40-4BC. I believe it is bronze. How should I clean it? Ive heard electrolysis, hydrogen peroxide, etc. But I want to just bring out more detail without damaging the coin. Thanks! -SC
Please share a picture of the coin first. There are many different possible cleaning methods and which one is best for your coin will depend on the current state of your coin.
electrolysis? Yikes! Start by the least intrusive methods first and work your way up. Pictures first would be nice, so we may advise you.
Just be aware that the success/survival rate for coins cleaned by beginners is similar to that humans who self medicate. Swallowing pills is easy but figuring out which pill to swallow requires a bit more practice. Soaking it in distilled water is unlikely to do much harm; the others you mention are more likely to kill than cure - at least until you have done it a few hundred times.
My go to response: Dont clean it. If it turns out to be rare and valuable maybe you can have it professionally done, but decades ago I ruined too many coins to the point where I dont touch anything. Even if slabbed, I pass it on.
OOOoooooohhhh NNNnnnnnoooooo...... I just put my most expensive coin in distilled water to clean it........ Plop-plop, Fizz-Fizz... I never clean... when in doubt, wait it out... until enough experts advise you, until you have done your research, and you are confident that you can afford to LOSE the investment. None of my coins have been cleaned by me...
OK thanks everyone. Ill post some pictures later tonight when I find it. I may or may not clean it, depending on what you guys think. Not worried about lsing money because I got it for $8, it was my first ancient though. -SC
Lots and lots of stuff written about cleaning ancients. Depends greatly on the metal (copper or silver or...gold). One really common thing is to soak in water to loosen any more dirt clinging to it and brush with a toothbrush or a toothbrush that has had the bristles trimmed to half-length to make them stiffer.
