Some people here have been asking about how to remove BD and Biox is mentioned by me and others...here is a before and after shot of a coin treated with Biox. IMO this could have been done without as much loss to patina but all the same, the coin will retone and the verdigris is completely gone... Coin with BD after treated with Biox...these coin images have been posted from another forum for the purpose of illustrating what Biox does. Again, I think more patina could have been saved but in the end, you have a coin without BD which will DESTROY a coin...and the coin will retone.
Interesting topic. I have a couple questions. After removing BD if the coin is left in a damp enviroment wont it return? The other question, is this something that can spread to other coins that come in contact with the damaged one? Here's one of mine.
If you use Biox then you should NOT have to seal it with wax if you store it properly after. ANY coin can develop this if stored incorrectly. I, and most collectors, are not opposed to something like Ren Wax on coins though so it is probably a good idea to give a treated coin a thin coating. and yes...it can spread to other coins if in contact.
I once tried out Biox on some cull copper ancients I had lying around, and I made the mistake of leaving them in over night. Who'd of thought the copper would become almost clay-like and powdery! Probably wasn't copper to begin with? Anyways, I think it's worth mentioning that if you use Biox on any coin, be sure to keep a close eye on it because it can work quite fast.
Yes, thats why I was saying that he probalby could have saved much of the patina, I think this was a bit over done...its fast acting and strong.
Biox is a cleaning material someone said is made by Renwax. Below is a thread of an experiment I did using Biox. I found it quite harsh, although usable is time is carefully watched to avoid damage to the surface to where the color is obviously altered. You can find some other links with google. After the experiment, the rest has just remained in my cabinet, and If there is a need, I use Verdigone-Verdicare. The key is being able to tell when it will help , and when due to the underlying surfaces, will just be ugly. Jim http://www.cointalk.com/t52387/
Ok, cool. Interesting stuff that Biox. Does seem a little harsh. I actually thought your ancient fared a little better than the penny (I didn't notice if the other pennies had before-and-after, just 1963). But it still had some green on it, didn't it? Maybe repeated short bursts of immersion in Biox, possibly at high temperature, followed by some means of retoning without getting it wet (I sometimes leave lightly-colored ancient on a piece of wood in the sun, even with a mirror shining on it, believing that will heat it up--it does, of course--removing moisture, but also darkening it slowly over time; that is, if your living circumstances permit. Maybe not at a a low-rise apartment in central LA, SF, or NYC). I see why you closeted it for the other Verdi-free-whatsitcalled product. pH 2.2? Well, throw in some baking soda with the water, make sure it doesn't fizz everywhere, and it might go well.
