Wanted to ask what the general consensus is on the use of renwax on ancient coins?...My collection is completely open ie no flips, they stand on little easels in a glass cabinet and I pick them up daily....I've renwaxed a couple of big Sestertius and they do look nicer but the aesthetics of the coin is not the reason, it's purely for handling. I've left it at that for the time being to see if it has any detrimental effects... Any thoughts appreciated...Paul
Here's before and after of a Caracalla limes that I cleaned with sodium thiosulfate. As you can see, it evens out the surfaces, "hydrates" the porous surface, and basically gives it a glossy look that you may or may not find attractive. I know of no known detrimental effects the substance has on the surfaces of coins.
I'm OK with it as it's easily removable, have even used it myself on occasion. Must be applied lightly. I've handled some coins where somebody's really gobbed it on and that's super gross! I think this coin could use some:
Thanks @hotwheelsearl ...Very nice result! In my case the coins are in very good condition so it's not to make them look better just purely for handling... For example..Here's one, an A.P as..
My personal preference, is that, I don't use Renwax. I don't use any wax, on any of my ancient coins. I like to be able to see the surfaces of the coins, as they really are, without the appearance being modified by wax. Also, I like the idea, of allowing the coin surfaces to continue to evolve, as time marches on. Perhaps, over time, if left alone, the coins will develop their own, natural, glossy surfaces. Perhaps, over time, the patina will become even more interesting, if the patina is allowed to interact with the air. I'm not worried about handling the coins. I handle my coins often. I just try to ensure, that my hands are dry and somewhat clean, when I handle my coins. And I've never had any problems with bronze disease. If a coin is very shiny, then I try not to touch the obverse or reverse of the coin. I try to hold the coin, by the edge of the coin.
That's good to know @Severus Alexander .. I've put on a very very small amount and polished it lightly with a very soft cloth... I suppose with a squint it looks slightly shinier but as I said it's purely to hopefully protect the bronze coin from my sweaty hands and nothing more..
If not for the aesthetic then I wouldn't recommend. That beauuuuuutiful Ant Pie sure doesn't need it, IMO. Ps, great call out by @sand it stops coins from patination
I tried it with some the uncleaned coins I cleaned up. I didn't see a noticeable difference and I didn't care for the smell.
. ..Thanks appreciate your input....So these 2 that I've already done can have the renwax removed via acetone?.....I will probably leave them as is for a couple of years and monitor them just out of curiosity.
To my understanding, yes. I've not used it due to patina and BD worries (it can trap in the bd). If SA says it then it is truth and there is no debating HWE's outcome. I've heard some museums use it. So I'm sure your fine to leave it on the coins you've put it on. I just recommend removing if the coins are missing patina or start showing signs of bd. But again, that fantastic Antoninus Pius doesn't have either of these problems
Is acetone safe, for a bronze coin with a patina? Would acetone damage or modify the patina? I don't know. I think acetone is safe, for silver coins that have no tone. But, I'm not very knowledgeable about acetone. I may have heard, of heating a coin in an oven for a while, to melt the wax. I guess, you could heat the coin, let the wax drip off, then flip the coin over, heat the coin again, and let the wax drip off of the other side, and so on. But, I don't know, if that's safe for the coin, either. I'm guessing that, one has to be careful, not to overheat the coin, by turning the oven temperature up too high. And, of course, be careful not to burn your hand, on the hot coin, unless it's the One Coin (Lord Of The Rings reference). Maybe putting the coin in hot or boiling water, to melt the wax, would be safer for the person doing it. As the coin flips around in the hot water, the wax would melt, and perhaps be removed from the coin by friction with the water, or by dissolving with the water. And then, dry the coin in an oven, to remove all traces of water. I may have heard, of someone doing that. I don't know.
For the conservation of my collection, for many years I use cerumen. It’s cheaper than Renwax, no smell at all. The only complaints I heard is the yellowish tone it gives to the coins treated with it, but it’s only a question of opinion.
In my experience it tends to darken the desert patina somewhat, and if there are fragments of sand on the devices then it tends to even those out, for an overall slightly more attractive appearance, usually.
I agree with @Ryro, if it's not for aesthetic reasons then I wouldn't use it. Patinated AE coins don't suffer from dry-hand handling, in fact they may benefit from your hand's natural oils. (Proviso: I withdraw all of my observations if you're in a humid climate, I've never had to worry about that!) The sort of coin that benefits has some mild porosity and a mottled look, a very "dry" feel, and often with some whitishness from the porosity. @hotwheelsearl's example in the second comment above is exactly the sort of coin for this. Both the smell and the glossiness will decrease over time. The result you get right after application is not the end result. Yes, unless they've been doctored with something else. By contrast with HWE, I would generally avoid this. The darkening can reduce the highlighting quite substantially and basically ruin this sort of patina. YMMV! Patently false, but can you please tell my kids this?
IDK about you guys, but I kinda like the smell of ren wax. Whatever that compound is, I love it. Then again, I also looove the smell of gasoline.
