Hi, I posted here awhile back introducing myself.. I'm from the DC metro area and have a small collection of us, ancient rome, and notes. I'm pretty much interested in most anything currency-related I suppose! Two general questions: 1. Is there a search function on this forum to search for keywords in old posts? I feel like my second question has probably been answered somewhere. 2. Untrue to my name, I've never cleaned a coin but do suffer from a need to make everything look nice. I can resist cleaning a coin unless the coin is suffering from something continually damaging it. Then I wonder if I have a duty to preserve it and fix the problem. So, I have a bronze ancient coin with the green verdigris rust on the obverse. Can/Will soaking this coin in olive oil fix this problem without damaging the coin? It's bronze, but with a thin layer of silver wash. Thanks, James
well, I thought I'd post this since I did receive further information from the seller of the coin in question. He said that the coin's verdigris is not damaging to the coin unlike bronze disease. I guess I confused this two but am happy to report that the coin will not need any cleaning.
Hi James, I moved your post into the Coin Chat section and changed the title of it so you'll get more attention. The Introduction section is mostly for people to get welcomed to the forum.
coincleaner - bronze disease and verdigris are the same thing, just different names for it. If you want to know what to do about it on ancient coins, read here - Bronze Disease - 1 Bronze Disease - 2
Post a picture before you do anything! What some collectors may consider to be "verdigris" could actually be a harmless, even helpful patina. Bronze disease has a distinct light green color and often appears in cauliflower-like formations. Try poking the verdigris with a toothpick, if it flakes away, its probably bronze disease.
