Reply to Thread

Message:: [QUOTE="Friuli, post: 2920641, member: 91360"]A nice old thread, but I'll add my 2¢ anyway.I've dug a lot of good coins (quality copper) in my area. Mostly Italian Vitorio Emanuel II  5,10, and 20 centesimi. Many have scabby corrosion from 100+ years of fertilized soil which prevents one from seeing some of the details. I've tried various ways of cleaning them but tend to be cautious. My preferred method is to soak the coins in distilled water, the type you use in steam irons, model steam engines, or other applications where you need water which in mineral free. I've talked with archeologists and the principle is fairly simple. The water acts as a mineral sink and pulls corrosion off the coin. The main problem is that the whole process works very slowly, much slower than most people have the patience for. I have copper coins in a Tupperware container which have been soaking for about 2 months. Every day or two I'll brush them with a stiff toothbrush and look them over and they don't seem to change much, but over time they do improve. Change the water frequently and if you feel the need to scrape at the corrosion make sure you do so with something softer than the copper and the oxidation, like the wooden end of a matchstick. Remeber, you can't put the patina back on. I'll try to post again with a before and after photo of a coin using this method.[/QUOTE]