renaissance wax is what I (and museums) use. http://www.picreator.co.uk/articles/3_renaissance_wax.htm a little bit will do ya.
I don't use any at all. I plan on looking into it though. God knows when I'll get around to it. I still haven't finished cataloguing my purchases from Baltimore!
I will agree with you Drusus, it is a personal choice that each collector must make for themselves. However, when you make a comment like that, "and museums", you tend to make others think that because museums do it, that it is somehow the right thing to do. But what about other things that museums do ? Like every so often they take the coins that have been entrusted to their care out of their cases and using a jeweler's cloth they polish up the coins and clean them. Does this mean that this is also the right thing to do ? You see, museums have a slightly different agenda than collectors do. Museums want their coins to be bright and shiny so that when visitors come to look at the coins they will all go - Ohhhhh and Awwwww - when they see them. But then most visitors to museums know little if anything about the coins in that museum, they just marvel at how bright and shiny they are. And the museums couldn't care less about keeping the coins original or their possible future re-sale value. One should should also consider that museums tend to follow old methods, really old methods. Methods that were developed sometimes hundreds of years ago. They tend to ignore modern technology and preservation methods. So stainless, you make your own choice about how you wish to care for your coins. But before making that choice, just make sure that you explore all possibilities.
I've used gum arabic on fossils. It's a good preservative, and it's natural. If you want, experiment with a weak solution, on some cheap coins.
This was developed about 50 years ago as an answer to issues with things like bees wax and other preservation methods that were either acidic, almost impossible to remove, caused discoloration, etc...It was developed by the British Museum as an alternative to other coating materials that had draw backs. It has been a standard ever since. Certainly, as I treat all advice, my own should be treated as just that. One should look into it and see if its what you want to do. I probably should have said something of the sort but I was just in a hurry. The website says it, and I agree with: 'museum technicians and others caring for important collections could use wax polish that neither caused future conservation problems nor detracted from the intrinsic values of their treasures.' Now I dont use it as a polish, I simple apply a very fine coat to some ancient bronze and copper coins. I use it because I have lost coins to corrosion and to be honest, I do not mind if my ancient coin has a bit of a sheen to it...much better than locking it away into a slab which probably does less to protect the coin and talk about a sheen!!...One major reason why I use it is because I live in a place with general high humidity and I feel my coins are at more risk. I am like a museum in that I want the coin to have eye appeal...I dont think this wax gives coins more eye appeal though...it might give other things like wood more eye appeal, I think it just gives coins a layer of protection. I do not think a single coin I have used this on (all ancients) would have a lower value because of it...in fact I know it wouldnt. I also know a lot of coins I have bought from others have a coat of it on the coin...I am fine with that. I think the British Museum cares more about preservation of the outstanding collections they have than making them pretty and shiny, though there is nothing wrong with a coin being pretty and having eye appeal...I just dont think the BM would harm a coin tin favor of eye appeal...I think they are more about conservation as the coins they have already have outstanding eye appeal being some of the finest examples. If I had a bronze statue that was a few thousand years old, I would not hesitate to use this on it to preserve it...nor would I with ancient bronze coins. Many people quote, value, and recite 'accepted practice' whether it be cleaning, grading, whatever. Just earlier today there was a bit of discussion about repatinating a coin...this is, in general, accepted practice in ancients, one I am not a fan of...cleaning issues are far less in ancients than in modern coins...many practices that are accepted as norm in ancients would be shunned by modern coin collectors, I have used a wire brush to clean a coin....this is fine if you need it in ancients...never in modern. I see modern coin collectors spouting off what you can and cant do...strict guidelines, rules never to be broken. I would say that the use of Ren Wax is also considered, in general, standard practice...one that I have decided to use simply for the protection of what I see as valuable ancient treasures. I chose not to follow some, others I feel are okay. There are certainly people who do not like ren wax, many who do but as a whole, I would say it is highly regarded as a tool for preservation. In the end, like was said...one must make ones own choices and educate yourself as to what you are doing. I tend to agree with many of the practices of the British Museum and follow many of their guidelines and practices.
Thanks for the help all, and really good info Drusus... Here is the next question for you guys. If a coin has Patina, would it still have any effect to put on the wax, or is it just a waste, as the patina already protects the coin? Also, should it be used for silvered and silver coins? I think i may buy that wax, I want my coins to be as protected as possible.
I only put it on my bronze or copper coins and medals. I dont even put it on all of them...I have never put it on a silver coin but I am sure you could. Its just that silver is much less susceptible to serious and relatively fast corrosion than bronze and copper and most of my silver coins I want to keep the ability for them to tone. If the coin is exactly how you like it when it comes to tone and patina, and you dont care for it to continue to react and tone (tone in silver is just corrosion) then it might be a good candidate for this as once you use it, it wont tone any further. I have a few old silver coins that have toned as far as I want them to, the next step for them is to turn black...so I might consider using it on them. To date I have only used this on a few Ancient Roman large bronzes that are susceptible and more valuable...I have used it on a few LRBs (copper), and I have used it on several bronze medals. I was thinking I might use it on my Zinc and Iron notgeld as well since they are so prone to rust and corrosion.
is there something I can buy at the groccery store or walmart, home depot that is the same thing as renaissance wax?
I honestly dont know, there is another thread started about Vaseline but I am just not comfortable with that. I have read a lot of Ren Wax and know that it is used by many museums for decades. I have found supply lists used by some other museums and ancients collectors and sellers who also use it to protect coins whether they be on display or in storage. The British Museum and its impressive collection utilizes it. I honestly do not think a museum would do anything to ruin a one of a kind coin, or lets face it, some of the most valuable and historically important collections that most of us will only be able to see through glass. But maybe I put too much faith in these guys and gals. Certainly some disagree with such methods, then again there are also many people who think soft cotton will scrape metal and look at coins under high magnification to detect the slightest scratch or microscopic evidence of cleaning... I would like something on the coin that will severely retard the return or advancement of corrosion but will not harm the surface in any way or distract from the eye appeal. I have a feeling in another 50 years this coin: will only have gone up in value and few looking to buy it will care it has a light coat of ren wax on it I could be wrong.
I said what I have to say on the waxing medium, take it or leave it. On this coin, though, Drusus...that engraving is better than on the Presidential Dollars, did you notice that hair? That's awesome!
I agree with Drusus I wax all keepers after drying them from the soak that way I'll know there protected from the high summer humidity we have here on the coast regards Harry
