Cleaning Coins With Air!!

It might be premature but I have a new to me technique for cleaning ancient coins and can be used in conjunction with other techniques that people use, with the exception of oiled coins. Maybe people are already using this technique and haven't mentioned it anywhere, who knows.

I can't take any new photos right now because my monitor on my backup PC with the CF digital camera card reader went dead so soon I'm going to get a decent CF USB card reader. Until then I can't shoot photos.

I came up with this idea when I was considering using a spray can of air, but it's not a good idea because of the following reasons.

A air can has a lot of chemicals, has a lot of moisture and is very expensive buying cans. I used it anyways on one coin, used a entire can. The results were that it blew off all loose dirt that I had worked up, seemed like it was a little faster at getting a coin clean. Then I looked around for a low powered air compressor and came up with this.

It's called a Datavac, but is not a vacuum, it is a duster or blower mostly designed to blow out PCs and keyboards. It has a micro cleaning tool attachment as well.

https://www.metrovacworld.com/DataVac_Electric_Duster-ED500/overview

You can get them cheaper than $100 but they still ain't cheap.

I've only had it a few weeks but I've noticed some things already.

Dry cleaning techniques.

I blow the coin off dry, use a cotton swab and loosen up the dirt and scrub vigorously if I have to. Blow the coin off frequently. Use toothpicks and metal tools when needed. You only need to loosen up the dirt and then blow and use cotton swabs again. Sometimes I use a nylon brush as usual.

In combination with distilled water.

You can go through the dry cleaning technique and then wash the coin off with distilled water. I use cotton swabs when I'm washing a coin.

After a coin has soaked in distilled water for a long time. You can wipe the coin off and dry with a soft cloth and then use the blower to get the rest of the water off and a lot of moisture. Let the coin set for about 10 minutes and then blow it off again. This helps to prevent bronze disease but I don't know completely because I have nothad this blower for long.

Here is a coin photo as an attachment that I removed the hard layer of mud off with the blower. I have since made more progress on the coin but I have not shot a photo yet of this Valentinian IVictory advancing left Siscia mint.

I'd like to know what you guys think. I have discussed it with a few people who think the idea has merit but we shall see. Some believe it may have no effect on a coin. But I think it has results and it is still slow. This is not the magic cleaner that people have been looking for but it helps.

 

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I didn't know that 'canned air' had chemicals........

 

I think you can save yourself a lot of time and effort if you clean your ancients in the normal ways you have posted (tools, chemical soaking, brushes, etc.) and save the air to dry them.

PS I hope you know what you are doing with your metal picks and brushes.

 

Well, actually more like gases but still. Here is a Wikipedia article about air cans.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_duster

 

Ancient guys ain't as anal as us US collectors..........

 

Doubt there is anything in the can that can hurt the coins any worse than metal tools and brushes used by collectors with no training. I'm not saying the OP is one of them.

Hey, @green18 I carve up ancients and US coins all the time but you'll never tell! LOL...If I do say so myself.

It's called conservation.

 

I'm learning to clean like most people are but the thing is that I'm trying to move away from chemicals unless I have no other choice and there are coins where you need to use ammonia, acetone, lemon juice, vinegar and some people use the Gringotts mixes.

I definitely know how to use metal tools. I have some earlier cleaning projects that are not part of the new technique.








Still not finished yet.






Not finished yet.

I have more.

 

I am just getting into these old coins myself and I think what you have there is a great idea. But that is just to blow off the loose particles and dry the coin. I have recently read an article from a dealer who uses regular olive oil not extra virgin(makes a difference according to him). Pours the oil into a pan on the stove top adds lemon juice to the oil and he heats it up and mixes them well and then he cooks the coins in this stuff. He said that this is a more extreme faster method for problem coins. What do you think about that one??

 

You have a lot of work ahead. I know it will be fun and you cannot help but improve those coins. I'm jealous!

 

Don't use the oil on a salad.

PS Did you ever send some coins to a grading service for a trial?

 

Sometimes you need to use oils to clean coins and I definitely have used oil on coins before. Although, keep in mind that those oils are very acidic and leave a residue on the coins. It has to be completely removed after cleaning is done.

Also, using oil on coins for this method may fail because you can't blow the dirt off as well.

It's best to analyze the coin to determine what method you want to use.

 

Yes, I sent them in, thanks for asking.

 

If you had a pinhole nozzle and high pressure air, 500 PSI sounds like a reasonable figure, your air jet would be like a mini sandblaster, but using the oxy-nitrogen molecules as the blasting medium with an air velocity of 1000fps or more.

This seems worth experimenting with.

 

I think it's probably over doing it a bit for 500 PSI. My goal is to use a low powered unit to prevent the coin from being sand blasted. It could also remove the patina as well, possibly.

 

Post a before and after to see if this is worthwhile.

 

I certainly will but I can't until I get a CF card reader. Which could be next month.

 

Did not your camera come with a cord attaching to USB on the computer for downloading without removing the card?

 

Unfortunately, it did not have a cord for a USB connection but it does have a port for it. I have other devices that use CF cards so I thought I'd get a USB CF card reader. I'm getting that first and then a cord later on.

 

Uh, no. I think perhaps as a dealer he is happy for people to ruin coins so that they can then buy from him......sounds like a great way of impregnating a porous coin with an acidic oil mix to start the bronze disease process off nicely. Makes my head hurt this one !

 

500 PSI? Where in the world would you be able to get something that powerful? It must be something NASA would use. I've never seen anything like that on the regular market. Almost seems like it would take off your arm trying to control it. And the hose must be mighty expensive also. The highest PSI hose I've ever seen was 300. Of course I'm sure they are out there, just never seen them yet.