My scary adventure - 25 hour ancient coin soak

Hi everybody,

I have these crusty coins and am eager to learn the best way to clean them without destroying them. I've been studying -- reading about the various preparations and systems available for cleaning coins, from chemical liquids to electrolysis. There are even these strange pencil-looking things intended for cleaning coins without removing the patina (so they say).

The idea of shooting an electrical current through these coins or treating them with chemicals right off the bat doesn't seem like the right thing to do. So, although I have those methods available for difficult cases, I decided to start with a gentle method - the distilled water soak.

Before I started the soaking process I photographed the coins and after a day of soaking I photographed most of them again to be able to see any change. Then the coins were returned to the bath after changing the water. This was a 25 hour soak, approximately.

I am concerned that the coins will become waterlogged. It almost seems to me that I saw better detail when the coins were crusty and dirty. What do you think? Have I soaked the coins too long? Or not not enough? Some articles say people do not soak the coins long enough and that weeks of soaking is required to loosen all the crud caked onto the ancient coins.

One article recommended removing the coins from distilled water and allowing them to dry and then massaging them with olive oil, then washing them off and returning them to another distilled water bath.

Please let me know what you think. The before pictures are on the top in the case of each coin.

 

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From my past experience (uncleaned lots), it does indeed take many weeks or months of soaking and cloth/toothbrush gentle rubbing/cleaning to see substantial results. I'd avoid all 'harsh' cleaning methods except light applications of olive oil. I had found water--distilled or otherwise---at boiling then soaking and gentle cleaning removed all the unwanted 'dirt' but left the patina and did not harm the coin in any way.

 

These can't be cleaned much. Just use a bamboo skewer to pick at the brown dirt deposits. The rest is nice patina. At least the last two- the first is a good candidate for more experimentation.

 

Ahh, interesting topic. I tried my hand at cleaning and have been partially happy with the results. I think the best results came out with distilled water on just very dusty or muddy coins.

I tried olive oil on some for a few days and then removed the crud with a dental pick. This worked OK but only on mildly crusty coins. Some folks say you have to soak them in olive oil for a year or more. I'm too impatient for that, plus the olive imparts a dark brown color making it more difficult to see the features on the coins.

I also read somewhere about liquid descaler which is intended to clean up copper pipes. I did a soak of about 70 very crusty coins in the descaler. While it removed the crud (you could even see the crud bubbling off the coins) after I washed them in distilled water following a 24 hour soak I was a bit shocked. One came out clean, the rest of them had the features rub off under my fingers while I rinsed them in distilled water. Very disheartening.

I've read about ammonia and acetone, too, but haven't tried these substances.

I think in the future about the only cleaning I will do is the distilled water for probably as little as a few minutes, gently rubbing off the dirt with my fingers. I've resolved to spend more money for higher quality coins in the future, rather than hoping for hidden gems to show up. Anyway, good luck with it @LaCointessa...

 

I don't think soaking will help these coins..I've been fighting with them for months..Dental pick may work little bit..

 

Thank you @Mikey Zee for your suggestions. And I was thinking the same thing about warming up some distilled water - although I hadn't thought to put them in boiling water. I am getting ready to take a look at them this morning after they spent the night soaking.

I think that @ancient coin hunter (also, thank you for your feedback and experiences) may have the key....a short soak in distilled water and a gentle rub between thumb and index finger.

@Nicholas Molinari - Thank you too. I appreciate your remarks. I do plan to work more with the top coin - the one with the deer. According to what my quick search has found, there should be a female on the obverse; and, it does look rather feminine, but I can't see it very clearly.

Oh, so there are only two different coins shown in the photographs above. Each coin is photographed twice. The top photos in each set show obv and rev before soaking and the bottom photos in each set show obv and rev after soaking.

I think I may stop working on the bottom coin.

Thanks for all your help.
I think I may stay away from the olive oil.

 

Hi @KirkCumberland - Thanks for your feedback. When you say "fighting with them" what do you mean, exactly? What have you been doing? Soaking? Hot water? Massaging with your fingers?

 

By the way...

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers.

 

I tried just about all..I don't think olive oil or water helps much for tough deposit..I even tried CLR on some coins..not too bad actually if you don't keep it too long..
I'm also using this:
"Le Crayon a Andre" - Coin Cleaning Pencil Set

 

Oh yes, I have some of those crayon things. Maybe I'll dry out a few of these coins and try le crayon. I suppose the coin should be dry. I think there's an instructional video on YouTube. Do you like it? Does it work? Please tell and show too if you have photos. CLR! Wow! You are a brave soul!

 

Those crayons work great..dry of course..(bought off Amazon $19.99) they don't scratch the coin..only some copper or brass ones maybe little sensitive..they have some videos on youtube..

 

I laid mine in a small cup of distilled water for 2 days, took them out and used a new toothbrush on them and then used my stamp and model building zoom-in set up for a close up look and used simple toothpicks to scratch off the dirt and it works great. I can see way more details and even an eye and shape of a head now.
It seems that the simple reality is that many coins that are sold for so cheap dont have much detail to begin with and missing legends and all. So i would not stress about them.
I see it is a fun and simple addition to the collecting hobby, even if some of these coins are "ugly" to some, I find the little details that I see very satisfying and gladly added them to my collection.
Some coins do in fact look better when left as-is with the dust/dirt showing the details more in its own unique style.
Good luck, gentle friend.

 

I am not giving up on uncleaned coins, just focusing a bit on upgrading the collection. There have been a few surprises, such as Quintillus, Claudius II, Quietus, and Vabalathus antoniniani coming out of those uncleaned bags. My impatience is probably the problem...but don't use the descaler stuff! I had a perfect campgate type of Arcadius where the reverse completely rubbed off, as I alluded to before.

 

Oh yes. What you say is true! I am enjoying the process of discovering a tiny detail or developing a detail a bit stronger to confirm it. And really important: It keeps my eyes away from looking at coins and my hands away from clicking on those that might be available for purchase since my budget simply can not handle one more purchase right now.
Yes, tooth brush.

 

Glad you're not giving up on uncleaned coins. And, no. I wouldn't try a hardware store type metal cleaner on a coin. I feel your pain as the reverse features rubbed off your coin. An unpleasant visual in my head now - I hope it will leave one day.

 

Its a good way to look at it for sure. We are both beginners on budgets, and the same for me - cleaning coins takes my mind off compulsive browsing and/or buying on vcoins for hours.
But you know, the little things we do purchase when able to will have all the more meaning to us. And in the future we will look back at these small modest purchases and smile and remember that part of our lives.

To be honest I feel like I would get bored fast if I had several thousands or unlimited amount of money available a month for coins.
I feel like the 'thrill would be gone', as the Eagles song says. I enjoy the planning and budgeting and the fantasy of purchasing a grand superb detail coin with saved up money.

 

I understand your point of view about your coin budget. It would be fun to be a coin purchasing agent for someone who had an unlimited coin purchasing, coin collection accessory, coin restoration laboratory budget. Ohhhh yeah!

 

@LaCointessa get some VerdiCare. In some recent PMs I mentioned it to you before.
I don't think it will help with the severe crusty coins but light to moderate it does.
I've had a couple of coins I got a bargain basement prices. Soaked for a week or so in distilled water, changing it often, then verdicare for a month or so picking the goo off every few days. Some decent coins now.
PM me if you need. Also you once told me you bought an electrolysis set up experiment with that. I've never tried the method yet anyway.

 

Hi Smojo,
I do remember that you recommended VerdiCare to me. Thanks! I certainly did go look and read about it. Unfortunately, I couldn't purchase everything I wanted on my most recent shopping expedition. So, it's on my shopping list for next time!

 

I hope that you did not pay much for them. I have a jar full of coins that are in at least as good condition that I would be ashamed to take money for. I don't mind occasionally giving some of them away to people that feel they need to clean coins.