Now I wish I hadn't posted that thread about losing this cent. Oh well.... Picked this up a couple of days ago and neath some of the grime is that silver metallic substance. I have no idea what it is. I'm hoping someone didn't try to clean the soldering iron on it. Any ideas on salvaging the oldest cent in my meager collection?... Thanks all.
No idea what that silver material is but if it is organic Acetone will take it right off. If it is metallic I'm not sure what to do, I did not think Silver could solder to copper very easily. I guess it's possible it was in jewelry at one point but that seems like an excessive amount of whatever it is for that.
Severe verdgris problem, it's REALLY thick and has removed a lot of copper from the surface. It looks to me as if someone already attempted removal. Chances are that you won't be happy with the coin if you remove the verdgris, there will be pitting under it. VERDI-GONE™ would likely have little effect on this coin. However, there could be some improvement. I would try a few common conservation techniques on it first, such as soaking in distilled water and perhaps xylene or mineral spirits. At minimum, if you wish to keep the coin, you should rinse it with acetone and put it in an Airtite to halt the progress of the verdigris.
Because it's damaged, I wouldn't waste my money on any store bought cleaners. I'd soak it in vinegar and use a very soft toothbrush to remove the corrosion. If it wasn't so damaged, then spending money on it to remove the corrosion would be worthwhile but it qualifies as a cull so spend your money on other coins and clean this as cheaply as possible. :hammer: Ribbit Ps: After cleaning it, it needs to be coated to prevent the corrosion from returning. Coin oil or Dellers will work.
Sort of I agree and don't. Don't use the Vinegar stuff though. Only makes things worse in many instances. With that coin is may well be worth an attempt as an experiment. I'd stick to things around the house though for monitary reasons and safety. To start use just heated distilled water. Try soaking in that for a few minutes. I too agree spending money to clean any coin could be a waste of money and dangerous. For example prior to using something like XYLENE check out the ATSDR web site about that Product. ATSDR = Agency for Toxic Solutions & Diseace Registry. My self I'd try items like baking soda and distilled water solutions. No harsh rubbing though, just a mild attempt to get rid of some of the greenish stuff whatever it may be. As to Solder attaching to Silver or Copper or almost any metals. Pleases note there are numerous variations in Solders. Some contain Silver, Lead, Gold, Tin, Zinc and almost anything imaginable depending on what you want to spend mostly. I've used Silver Solder many times on Copper, Silver, Brass, Bronze, etc. Of course there are also a massive varieties of Soldering fluxes also.
One other thing I've done, in certain situations, is to put the coin in a cup 1/4 full of olive oil then nuke it in the microwave for a few minutes. That will clean the crud off a coin really well but only do one coin at a time, since arcing can occur if there is more than one coin (I speak from experience). Ribbit Ps: Do not use this method for mixed metal coins (the new lincoln cents are a perfect example). :goofer:
