Help with Verdigris issue

Hello Friends,

I need your help and advice.

I store my roman tetradrachms in Abafil trays but recently I have notices that some of them (silver as well) started to get some verdigris on it. what should I Do? should I remove all coins from trays (denarii and tetradrachms) and store them in PVC flips.
I don't know how this came about? any idea? I store some of my coins in my room (which is dark all day long and doesn't have much of a sun), should I keep them In the room with more sun and open windows? How should I go about those tetradrachms that started to get some of the verdigris. Should I buy some Silica Gel packs?

Any help and advice is much appreciated

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

What kind of tetradrachms and denarii? Debased?

 

Can you post some pictures?

 

syrian and alexandrian tets, i also noticed 4 of antoniniani ( of Tetricus1 and Tetricus 2 ) have verdigris on them
Should I buy dehumidifier for my room, or have windows opened more often?
Thanks

 

+1
You do not say where you are or what the weather is there. The answers may be different for Arizona and Costa Rica. It would be easier to store the coins in a closet/safe equipped with a gun safe dehumidifier than to modify the air in the whole house/world.
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...d=kwd-348031085705&ref=pd_sl_7v39567erd_e_p37

 

Thanks Doug, its California, and humidity level is around 70-80% outside. Do you think dehumidifier will help? for the room where the coins are? and how would I go about infected coins, should I separate them from the rest, should I treat them somehow? thanks for any advice?

 

We need to see photos. If bronze disease, you may need to take remedial action as soon as possible. I recommend dessicant pouches for small storage areas. Larger storage, like a big room is tougher to deal with.

 

Hi Carausius, I believe its a verdigris. I thinks this came about because I rarely opened the window in this particular room. How should I go about treating infected coins??? should I remove them from trays- store in PVC-free flips?

 

Here is a sample

 

Does it flake off with your fingernail?

 

70-80% humidity in CA??? Around here (Ventura County) it's mostly below 50%. Do not even mention PVC and coins in the same post except if it has the word NEVER!!! Verdigris should be treated and soon. Perhaps @BadThad will make an appearance and speak to this. My initial thought is a water soak and brush with a toothbrush to remove the looser flaky stuff, thorough drying, treatment with VerdiCare and storage in archival polyester 2x2's.

 

I would go easy at first, I can't tell from the photo whether the coin is silvered.

 

yes it is.. how should I treat it?

 

Hi Kentucky, what do you think is an issue here, maybe because the windows in the room were closed most of the time? I have 7 coins with the same issue? should I remove them from the tray?

 

Keep all coins separate until you know what is going on.

Did you try the fingernail test yet?

 

you can use a q-tip and ammonia to clean it up.

 

Thanks Victor, so you think it shouldn't be a huge issue? I was surprised to see 2 of my tetradrachms (Alexandrian and Syrian) have verdigris, I am sure it is not Abafil case, but probably my room conditions (will check humidity level tomorrow), the building where I live have a concrete walls- not sure if this have any impact... and about 1 mile from the beach in California..

 

The most important part of medical treatment is diagnosis. You don't order surgery for a head cold. You don't treat cancer with Tylenol. The photo I see does not look like bronze disease but still bears watching. Separate questionable coins and look at them every day for a week. If you see no change, look once a week for a while. If no change, look once a month. All that is green is not dangerous. Don't ruin decent coins because of your fears. On the other hand, if the green spots are twice as big as they were the last time you looked, it will be necessary to act. Taking photos is a way to compare the changes from month to month and will allow you to ask help here more efficiently. I'd say over half the coins with green called bronze disease by online venues are just remains of patina speckles but it is still something to watch especially in groups of coins known for having the problem (including billon tets).

 

I would not even worry about, if it is just that bit on the edges. If it continues to develop, I would do a little cleaning with ammonia.

"I have used a 10% solution of ammonia to clean silver coins with good results; but it also works on silvered coins, but you have to be a bit more careful. For silvered coins, I usually use a something like a Q-tip to dab on a bit of ammonia where it is needed and then rinse with water...don't scrub the coin as the silvering may be delicate. If the coin is completely silvered it is easier, but if there is bronze showing in spots be careful, as the ammonia could make the bronze shiny."

two coins that I used this method on-