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<p>[QUOTE="TIF, post: 3540100, member: 56859"]Short of mechanical removal (which will not look good) you have to use an acid or base. Lemon juice or ammonia will work. Just use short soaks, dabbing with a cotton swab periodically. When the copper carbonate (green stuff) has been removed, rinse the coin and neutralize it in the opposite solution (if soaked in lemon juice, soak in ammonia or sodium bicarbonate solution, or vice versa). After that, put the coin through a few distilled water soaks and then dry thoroughly.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here's one that was successfully soaked in lemon juice, or maybe it was white vinegar. Whatever-- both are weak acids and that's what was needed:</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cointalk.com%2Fproxy.php%3Fimage%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.cointalk.com%252Fproxy.php%253Fimage%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fstatic.wixstatic.com%25252Fmedia%25252Fae43f8_268b0aec353343169d122019627b6fb8.jpg_srb_p_800_405_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srb%2526hash%253D434af689510a2e047eb47752afbe8d3b%26hash%3D0401bafbe4252f2c778d477634fd34f4&hash=0685209ee5eae5d78591c831b7218435" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cointalk.com%2Fproxy.php%3Fimage%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.cointalk.com%252Fproxy.php%253Fimage%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.cointalk.com%25252Fproxy.php%25253Fimage%25253Dhttps%2525253A%2525252F%2525252Fwww.cointalk.com%2525252Fproxy.php%2525253Fimage%2525253Dhttps%252525253A%252525252F%252525252Fwww.cointalk.com%252525252Fproxy.php%252525253Fimage%252525253Dhttps%25252525253A%25252525252F%25252525252Fwww.cointalk.com%25252525252Fproxy.php%25252525253Fimage%25252525253Dhttps%2525252525253A%2525252525252F%2525252525252Fwww.cointalk.com%2525252525252Fproxy.php%2525252525253Fimage%2525252525253Dhttps%252525252525253A%252525252525252F%252525252525252Fwww.cointalk.com%252525252525252Fproxy.php%252525252525253Fimage%252525252525253Dhttp%25252525252525253A%25252525252525252F%25252525252525252Fstatic.wixstatic.com%25252525252525252Fmedia%25252525252525252Fae43f8_ed6209db5c094d73bfec979bc4c4f097.jpg_srb_p_850_418_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srb%2525252525252526hash%252525252525253D496041e5b0be41de3ed4a81421402124%25252525252526hash%2525252525253D4020f17f0d8cab366843ba1e5e86939b%252525252526hash%25252525253De1c26dea74a7668749e63add9dfcd811%2525252526hash%252525253D2590c95379f261fb4ed2e908de4a2b5c%25252526hash%2525253D398444214131e8cb8122e2af74975229%252526hash%25253Dac70b0dc2691173ef42da545895c17be%2526hash%253Dd30589ef68fe7498297d7998b7617d0b%26hash%3D067e3b0dfed60dbe3b59d80e568c15c0&hash=31bacfced16e3eebb811dc07a24edf89" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Note that the deep scratches on this coin were on the flan prior to striking. They are not cleaning scratches. These lines are a typical finding on Black Sea bronzes-- "flan adjustment marks".</p><p><br /></p><p>Results can and will vary, as the composition of ancient coins is of course not consistent. I think coins from Pontos (like the coin shown above) and other Black Sea bronzes have a composition that is more forgiving of such treatments.</p><p><br /></p><p>Another option is to send it to someone who is experienced in cleaning. Ask [USER=51347]@Alegandron[/USER] about his experience. I sold him a Postumus/Sol antoninianus that was covered in "malachite" which obscured the devices. He sent it to someone for cleaning and now it looks fantastic![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="TIF, post: 3540100, member: 56859"]Short of mechanical removal (which will not look good) you have to use an acid or base. Lemon juice or ammonia will work. Just use short soaks, dabbing with a cotton swab periodically. When the copper carbonate (green stuff) has been removed, rinse the coin and neutralize it in the opposite solution (if soaked in lemon juice, soak in ammonia or sodium bicarbonate solution, or vice versa). After that, put the coin through a few distilled water soaks and then dry thoroughly. Here's one that was successfully soaked in lemon juice, or maybe it was white vinegar. Whatever-- both are weak acids and that's what was needed: [IMG]https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cointalk.com%2Fproxy.php%3Fimage%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.cointalk.com%252Fproxy.php%253Fimage%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fstatic.wixstatic.com%25252Fmedia%25252Fae43f8_268b0aec353343169d122019627b6fb8.jpg_srb_p_800_405_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srb%2526hash%253D434af689510a2e047eb47752afbe8d3b%26hash%3D0401bafbe4252f2c778d477634fd34f4&hash=0685209ee5eae5d78591c831b7218435[/IMG] [IMG]https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cointalk.com%2Fproxy.php%3Fimage%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.cointalk.com%252Fproxy.php%253Fimage%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.cointalk.com%25252Fproxy.php%25253Fimage%25253Dhttps%2525253A%2525252F%2525252Fwww.cointalk.com%2525252Fproxy.php%2525253Fimage%2525253Dhttps%252525253A%252525252F%252525252Fwww.cointalk.com%252525252Fproxy.php%252525253Fimage%252525253Dhttps%25252525253A%25252525252F%25252525252Fwww.cointalk.com%25252525252Fproxy.php%25252525253Fimage%25252525253Dhttps%2525252525253A%2525252525252F%2525252525252Fwww.cointalk.com%2525252525252Fproxy.php%2525252525253Fimage%2525252525253Dhttps%252525252525253A%252525252525252F%252525252525252Fwww.cointalk.com%252525252525252Fproxy.php%252525252525253Fimage%252525252525253Dhttp%25252525252525253A%25252525252525252F%25252525252525252Fstatic.wixstatic.com%25252525252525252Fmedia%25252525252525252Fae43f8_ed6209db5c094d73bfec979bc4c4f097.jpg_srb_p_850_418_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srb%2525252525252526hash%252525252525253D496041e5b0be41de3ed4a81421402124%25252525252526hash%2525252525253D4020f17f0d8cab366843ba1e5e86939b%252525252526hash%25252525253De1c26dea74a7668749e63add9dfcd811%2525252526hash%252525253D2590c95379f261fb4ed2e908de4a2b5c%25252526hash%2525253D398444214131e8cb8122e2af74975229%252526hash%25253Dac70b0dc2691173ef42da545895c17be%2526hash%253Dd30589ef68fe7498297d7998b7617d0b%26hash%3D067e3b0dfed60dbe3b59d80e568c15c0&hash=31bacfced16e3eebb811dc07a24edf89[/IMG] Note that the deep scratches on this coin were on the flan prior to striking. They are not cleaning scratches. These lines are a typical finding on Black Sea bronzes-- "flan adjustment marks". Results can and will vary, as the composition of ancient coins is of course not consistent. I think coins from Pontos (like the coin shown above) and other Black Sea bronzes have a composition that is more forgiving of such treatments. Another option is to send it to someone who is experienced in cleaning. Ask [USER=51347]@Alegandron[/USER] about his experience. I sold him a Postumus/Sol antoninianus that was covered in "malachite" which obscured the devices. He sent it to someone for cleaning and now it looks fantastic![/QUOTE]
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