So what would you do with these large cents?

For those of you who contend that green corrosion/verdigris will continue unckecked if the coin isn't stripped and retoned, please explain to me why this coin, which I've owned since 1979, hasn't decomposed into nothing?



Its had those small areas of green verdigris/corrosion for almost 30 years now, and they have gotten no worse with the passage of time. This coin has been stored in a 2x2 for those 30 years, and spent virtually all of that time in a closet on the west coast of Florida.

Curiously yours....Mike

 

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I have had these two Indians for the last five or more years. When I got them the corrosion wasn't nearly as apparent or active as it is now. It appears to be getting progressively worse. What is the best way to atleast stop the corrosion? I really like the patina on the 1890 coin so I would like to be able to keep that intact if possible. Any advice on what to do would be greatly appreciated, I'd try soaking in tomato juice per Toad's advice but that appears to be frowned upon.

 

NOS, My advice would be to store the coins in 2x2s or airtites in a place with a relatively stable temperature and low humidity -- adding dessicant to the immediate area of storage helps limit humidity as long as you don't allow the silica to become saturated.

That said, I can understand, to a certain extent, removing the active areas of corrosion with a thorn or other non-destructive technique -- I mean who wouldn't like to have those coins less the spots -- I just don't do it myself.

As for the coins in question -- the 1890 certainly looks nice enough to try and save (nice skin on that coin less the spots), however the 1860 looks to me to have been cleaned already. So if the coins were mine and I wanted to try and salvage them, I would try and remove the spots on the 1890 and consider a dip and strip of the 1860 (although I admittedly don't know how these techniques will work with the CuNi of the 1860 versus the 100% copper 1890).

However, in reality, if I didn't like the coins I would just get rid of them and find examples that I do like -- neither coin is rare by any stretch of the imagination so finding a nice spot-free example wouldn't be a particular challenge.

Respectfully & honestly submitted...Mike

 

See? I was going to say green paint, but Doug bet me to it...

 

It just looks like it is not original surfaces. The color is greyish, not brown. It could be the image, but that's what it look like to me.

 

I am assuming on the west coast of Florida you have AC and that will Dehumidify the air. A nice clean dry environment. The humidity in most homes is actually quite low if you use AC and heat. If you stored the coins in your shed I would bet you would see corrosion very quickly. Ice

 

Interesting perspective, but I disagree. Call it verdegris or corrosion or green stuff (and the area I'm referring to is the lower left of the shield, and the lower leaves on the left side) -- it just hasn't progressed to the point of the OP's or Ice's coins (which is kind of the point). I'll try and remember to take better pics of the coin next time I do a few photographs.

 

I agree -- that's a good point you raise about inside humidity -- and yes we do have AC -- which remains off (along with the heat) for most of the winter.

 

Not my coins but I do have a couple and have been thinking long and hard about what to do. I see you keep heat and AC off in winter but humdity is lower in winter. Ice

 

That's true -- for January only. Here's the average afternoon RH in the closest big city near where I live:

Jan: 30%
Feb: 87%
Mar: 86%
April: 87%
May: 87%
June: 86%
July: 87%
August: 87%
September: 90%
October:91%
November: 89%
December: 88%

Overall: 88%

Where I live tends to be about 5% higher than these numbers (closer to the ocean)....Mike

 

. the best post

my coins are safe now.. hoooray. and you dont even know how you did it :thumb: :hug: