Copper conservation help needed

Seriously though, the two times it happened to me it was with bronze coins, not copper. Leads me to believe there was something funky going on with the alloy.

 

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Thanks, I watched the whole video. This is truthfully the first youtube video about coins that didn't make me sick to my stomach. I wish they'd have shown more detail in what he was doing and provided some before and afters. I also wish he'd have actually worked on the other coins to show any effects. I'm of the impression that EAC Collectors could give two cents about NGC/PCGS/ANACS slabs and care about the coin, which is why they advocate cleaning in such a manner. @GDJMSP I don't know if you brought yourself to watch the video, but I'm curious to hear your two cents on them advocating preservation in the manner they did. I assume it's because they don't care about TPGs?

 

Sorry, I’m not super familiar with them. I’m assuming they shun TPGs. Was looking for confirmation.

 

Wow. Just watched that. The guy may be an 'expert' but I wouldn't be comfortable using a brush like that no matter how soft it is.

Besides, you can get a better outcome with Verdi-Care, and no brushing required.

 

Interesting (and humorous) to see the various responses to a process that virtually every early copper specialist over the past 7 decades or more has followed successfully. Yes, you can brush too much, and yes, if the coin has been recolored, brushing may reveal the damage that was otherwise hidden. You should also be careful brushing coins with a lot of crud on them; the brush won’t scratch the coin, but the crud might.

As far as TPGs not slabbing coppers that have been treated this way, I know for a fact that they do. Every early copper I’ve submitted had been treated in this way, and none have ever been rejected because of it. I wouldn’t leave a coin looking oily, but the procedure in the video is market acceptable for copper specialists and TPGs. Anyone who says otherwise is either mistaken, or perhaps doesn’t understand the procedure.

 

Most EAC members don’t care too much one way or the other about slabs. We like to be able to hold the coins and see the edges, especially of the early dates where the edges are ornamented.

However, we are not monolithic. Some of us won’t buy coins raw, and others crack out slabbed coins. Others collect either kind.

Mostly, the way we are different is that we believe it is very important for us to learn to judge the quality of our coins for ourselves. Consequently, the grade on the slab is of minimal importance to many of us.

We collect coins and think it strange that for many the piece of paper is more important than the coin.

 

No. Mineral oil is a hydrocarbon and will not break down. However it will evaporate slowly over a long time and a mineral oil treated coin might cause a coin capsule to discolor. I am intrigued by linseed oil, which will not dry, but will cure with the oxygen in the air to leave a plastic coating over the coin (linseed oil is what is used in "oil" paints).

 

Hey, if you haven't finished yet, someone mentioned that xylene might be xylol, you could also use toluene, which is more volatile and which might be toluol. The xylene or toluene would remove different organic compounds than acetone. I like VerdiCare.

 

Xylol is more properly called xylenes, as it is a mixture of several molecules. You should be able to get it at any hardware store. I’d avoid toluene unless you really know what you’re doing, have a good fume hood, etc.

 

Yeah, use toluene outside unless you want to get high wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

It’s very interesting to hear the different things people say. I wish I weren’t moving in 4-5 months and had more time to experiment. Right now, I’m doing damage control and packing things out. I can’t tell you how stressful it is shipping coins across the world.

 

Where did you buy your brush and what kind is it? What mineral oil do you use?

 

If you use xylene make sure you have plenty of ventilation as it's pretty nasty stuff.

 

I’ve got a spare garage for it to sit in. Maybe it’ll kill the mosquitos hiding out in there. Thanks for the tip.

 

I bought mine a couple of decades ago, but you can still get them. As I recall, it’s a #4 jeweler’s brush. Quite soft.

I use a product called Blue Ribbon, which was mentioned in the video. It is no longer available as 1,1,1-trichloroethane is an ozone-depleting substance. I think any light mineral oil, like that used for sewing machines, should be fine.

 

Thanks. At some point, I’ll try this method on some coins. I’m not a fan of anything that depleted the ozone. I’ll go for something else. If you have any before/after of your efforts, please feel free to share.

 

I say to each there own. if someone wants to use a brush of any kind on their coins, it is by there own right. I do find some issues with just soaking coins, The only thing that I use on a regular basis when changing solutions is a q-tip no rubbing only rolling, this will remove some of the thicker more stubborn gunk at the edges of the devices rim lettering etc.
Then it usually goes in for another soak.
What has to be watched out for is the aggressive removal. A coin too clean will not grade IMO. Leaving a small amount of residue in those confined areas is not a bad thing. It adds to some originality.
PVC's and contaminants are often removed within minutes even seconds.
Distilled water is the best as it will leave the original skin on the coin.

 

On brushes, Kolinsky sable brushes are the softest fibers and Squirrel hair brushes second and both are intended for watercolor painting. They are expensive , but have least chance of damage. If you dip them into solvents , only 1/2 up the brush fibers and soft strokes. If the coin is really heavily coated, and a little rub is OK, Chinese Ox hair is OK for a slight pressure to loosen, but I like the bamboo skewers ( small ones for cheese cubes, etc at a 99 cent store), Put the tips into the acetone or whatever and let set for 24 hrs. Bamboo is very porous vertically, so the 'sticks' pick up and hole the solvent/ A little pressure on the stick on a scrap zincoln should cause the tip to bend, and its ready to try on your damaged coins. Use and discard as necessary through the process. Far better than rose thorns or other as they are not as porous. Do not use immediately on your 72DD, practice on pocket coins until you are familiar with it. Done right they still get slabbed normally with no detail. YMMV. IMO. Jim


Do not use on proofs or pl coins, use liquid only,