1785 Nova Constellatio c-5e has arrived and taken her bath.

and I am very very pleased..
before

add boiling distilled water.... (the 5 is very visible in hand but hard to see from directly above)

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I like the before pics better.

 

coin was covered in a waxy greasy coating... just boiling got me this the before pics were a nicer chocolate brown but a truly cruddy coin.

 

I don't know . I kinda like the crude look .

 

If the new photos are showing the actual color, IMO you should have found a better method to remove the "waxy greasy coating".

 

Simply said, i think the coating was put on the coin to make it more attractive.. to be honest yes it looked nicer until you got it in hand, then it looked like a coin coated in crap.

 

you bought it . LOL It's fine as long as your happy

 

Besides, if they had done it right in the 1st place it wouldn't have washed off... you want to tone bright copper you use a simple super saturated solution of baking soda and dip the coin and let dry... nice chocolate brown copper... but that's coin doctoring and I would never do that Note never use tap or any water with any clorine in it or that nice chocolate brown will be a nice permanant green

 

Yes, it looks like someone used an abrasive on the high parts of the design so they contrast with the dark background, sort of do-it-youself CirCam. Now that the coating is off, the bright raw copper will gradually tone in, especially if stored in a paper envelope. There's a lot of detail left on that coin!

 

Huh , paper envelope . Learned something New today . Thanks @ksparrow

 

The yellow craft paper kind. There is residual sulfur from the paper processing. I've had occasional success putting harshly cleaned silver in these and sitting them in a sunny window. Check regularly to see if uneven or unsightly toning starts

 

Here is a Nova Constellatio in VF or so. You can compare it to the piece you purchased. I never had this one graded because I figured it would come back in a "body bag" because the grey spot on the obverse.

 

Please, don't take offense, but to those who might have some dirty only copper coins, the "after" photos are not what you want to have in the end. If you think coin can be improved, it's better to consult a professional restorer.

 

I think I heard of a re-toning copper coins darker. Wait for more opinions on doing that.

 

Geez, somebody doctored that coin to sell it for more than it’s worth. You’re probably stuck with it since you removed the fake patina, but I hope you let the seller know you don’t appreciate being hornswoggled

There used to be a product called Deller’s Darkener (it still may be around) that mixed powdered sulfur with Vaseline. It might help, but you have to be careful you don’t make the rest of the coin too dark or uneven. Also, you have to completely remove the stuff when your done or it will continue to darken (not sure which solvent will remove Vaseline)

 

yeah a bit doctored but as i paid only about $60 and could probably flip it for 100 as is, so i'm still happy with it for the price... as for fixing the "color" I could do so easily, but will likely use the simple yellow paper envelope to fix it.. that may take 6 months plus, but it is an honest near natural toning vs 3-4 chemical methods i know how to use.

 

Someone probably abraded the coin trying to bring out details and the date, and then used a dark wax to hide the harsh copper highlights. Boiling it removed the wax and revealed the abraded surfaces again.

 

How do you get Dealer's Darkener off of a coin?

 

I used to bury mine in the ground, wait several years, and dig up again . Oh wait. then it's a ED coin. Oh wait, that's for dug coins only .

 

That type of abraded copper look comes up all the time with ancient coins. It ducks, but it’s something that we learn to live with.

ameeixan coins are a while
Different ball game though, and that sort of damage is a deal breaker for many collectors