Coin Care Chemical

This makes me want to go back to highschool and do a science report on this. Buying a 5-10 different coin cleaners and other agents that people have used in the past and do a 1-2 months project (if possible, might take longer time) on different years of Lincoln cents pre 64, 65-84, and 85 to present and see what the outcome is. From there break it down a little further putting 1 set into direct light (whether it is sun or flurocent light) and the other in total darkness housed in a 2x2 holder. (documenting each step via camera along the way).

 

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Interesting opinions

A good read. Back in the 60's, cleaning was taboo, period. PCGS will label a coin as cleaned. I am guessing that cleaning is more accepted than it used to be, when admitted too and price adjusted to match. I do see a value in removing corrosion, in that the corrosion can be stopped from progressing. I have read that olive oil to preserve and hot hydrogen peroxide to treat (in reverse order) works for copper. I have not tried that, but I think I will experment with some no value coins. As far as corrosion inhibiting, I have no idea what the best way to approach would be.

 

Olive oil is a very poor choice for "preservation" since it readily oxidizes. It also contains lots of organic acids and other organic materials that can adversely affect the surfaces over time.

Hydrogen peroxide is also a very poor choice for use on copper. Yes, it will remove most types of verdigris but at the cost of the luster/patina. The coin surfaces will be substantially lightened and the coin will appear cleaned.

 

Indeed. Cleaning and polishing was hugely popular back in the day!

 

I didn't mean cleaning did not occur, just that a serious collector would educate himself and avoid any coin that appeared cleaned, or if he was just looking for a filler coin, the price had to be right.

 

That is good information. The only coins I would clean would be dug up coins of clad, silver, copper and what ever came up. If I was going to keep them, I would like to preserve them and am searching for the best option for that. I guess olive oil is out of the question now. Is EVOO different in content, or is that just a marketing ploy? Of course, a rare date coin would only be washed with water and tagged as dug and cleaned. The new owner would have to use his own conscience on how to proceed. My point is that cleaned coins must be more acceptable than they used to be. It is possible the crowd I ran with was different than most.

 

It's recommended to only use toluene under a vented chemical hood. When I do research it's a big no-no to ever use it away from the hood. Nitrile gloves are good too.

 

Having spent a lifetime in aviation, I am familiar with the MSDS on just about every solvent known and none of them are safe. When trico was introduced to us, we were told it was the safest of all the solvents we used. Come to find out, it would kill you too.

 

Curious, but what is trico? Do you mean triclor (tri-cloroethylene).

BTW, I guess I am dead many times over and not just from triclor.

 

Amen brother....Dead Chemists walking.......too preserved to go under
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BTW, getting toluene and other such chemicals on thin skinned areas HURTS. (Use your imagination.) Also, I used to be a smoker. Even carrying an over filled lighter hurts. And that, at least used to be, mostly toluene.

 

RIGHT ON. Never have or never will. Thanks for the lesson.

 

Either one, ene or ane. Point is, no solvent is safe.

 

Cleaned coins are are unacceptable to any savy collector. Conserved coins are market acceptable when they are properly conserved. There's a difference between cleaning and conserving a coin.

 

I was in the local Target store, which now carries a display of "ethnic" ( don't know how else to say it, no offense intended) skin cream products ( many from Mexico, Asia, and Africa. One of the products was basically Vaseline with 10% sulfur. I forget the name, but I thought " Deller's Darkener !" .

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Now we are getting to the point. How do you conserve a copper coin that has a spot of green corrosion and prevent it from spreading, as opposed to just cleaning and oiling it. I know valuable paintings are cleaned, repaired and conserved, but they are one of a kind and would be lost forever if not treated. Not many coins are one of a kind, so any treatment should effect value, if there is a better example available that has not been treated.

 

Incorrect. The solvent that dissolves more things than anything else, water, is safe as long as your not held underneath it for too long.

 

Acetone will remove any non bonded water in the corrosion and completely evaporate. Then if the coin is reasonably stored in a manner to prevent moisture and environmental gases from coming in contact, the corrosion will halt at that point. Not cleaned, not oiled. IMO
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Water can be considered a poison when over-consumed just like any other substance in proportion to electrolytes. Water intoxication can lead to death, but all admit it is very rare and usually such as running extreme distances in hot weather and drinking only water with no electrolytes.