Five Ancients (Olive Oil for 9 Months!!!)

Well Team, after looking at that fine coin-necklace Jody shared with the list it got me digging around down in the basement looking for some material to share with the list. I came upon a plastic dime tube which I had six ancients soaking in olive oil and just plain forgot about them. To be sure they were illegible when I placed them in the oil and appear to be in better condition now, especially the top middle one.

I thought some of you might have fun trying to attribute these. I did mention I had six and will post a picture of the sixth in a while, as I'm really pleased with that piece.

Take Care
Ben

 

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Is the top right one a forward facing portrait? If so, could be Byzantine, or extrememly late into the Empire, just before "the fall." Hopefully the bottom one and the middle one are attributable and not slugs.

 

No, it's one I've seen before, it's facing you.

Ben

 

9 months? Jeez, I couldn't wait that long. I have some ancient coins that I soaled in soapy water, olive oil then soapy water again and now H2O2. I like how they fizzed. It's only been a couple of weeks in all but do you think that olive oil + time is the best way to go?

By the way your coins look real good.

Bruce

 

Ben:
Check out Coin World, June 25, 2007, and they have a long article about the use of olive oil on coins.

Very timely.

 

What did it say? I don't subscribe to the paper. Probably how olive oil is terrible and will continue to acidly eat into the coin forever and ever unless I submit the exposed coins to the Numismatic Conservation Service. Who will, (for a small cost) totally remove the olive oil using a secret scientific process.

 

Ah, here it is.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Olive oil not just for cooking
Hobbyists use 'fruit juice' to remove verdigris
posted 6/12/07
By Paul Gilkes
COIN WORLD Staff

http://www.coinworld.com/news/062507/BW_0625.asp

edited - Not to be scolding you Bone, but posting of copyrighted material like that is exactly why publications like Coin World refuse to grant permission for us to post pics and stuff here when we ask. So please everybody - do not copy paste copyrighted material. If you can find a link, great post the link. That they don't mind.

 

I just got that issue yesterday. Sitting on my desk at the office right now. I'll read it on my lunch break. Very timely, indeed.

 

Yeah...nice ancients... I think the bottom one is an issue of india (14th cent)

 

Nice Ben is that a Constantine I see on the top row center? well this post reminded me I had a whole pile sitting in oil for the past 7 months so just been through them and liberated a few LOL

 

Doug, thanks for correcting my error, but I will say one thing. Certain elements of the Numismatic Community are vastly too "SUE Happy." As co-owner of www.jabpublish.com I'm aware of the in's and out's of Copyright Infringement and the legalities of posting printed material while giving full credit to those who initally posted it or profiting from other's printed material available on the internet. If other organizations like CNN, FOX, and MSNBC were as anal as many coin publications, sellers, and internet information sites news and other information flowing on the internet would be nil.

It is amazing that in the numismatic community one can provide valuable information about the service, or lack there of one receives from a seller and get frigging sued because they stiffed you. But as Peter said it's not whether you're right or wrong it's the cost of going to court.

Yes Sir, the one distasteful aspect of modern coin collecting are the thin skinned poindexters who will file a lawsuit at the drop of a hat. I would think CoinWorld would be above such opportunistic chicanery, but one has to enforce the standard and I appreciate your catch.

Take Care
Ben

 

Olive oil or distilled water...just remember...if you start off with oil, you cant use distilled water after its been in the oil (or any water, it just wont be effective)...Olive Oil is good...it may take months or even more...but its best to do it that way and not destroy the coin (an ancient artifact) by using other more possibly damaging ways. I start with water...hot water boiling water and soap first...then a long soak in distilled water and picking....if I need to soak long term...I use oil as you can sit it someplace forever and not watch it or refill.

The only other way I would ever say is okay is simple manual cleaning with a pick to pry off caked dirt that might have been loosened by a soaking in water or oil (or in hot water with mild soap).

One interesting method I have found that works rather well after a good long soak is packing tape. If the crust has loosened from a soak...put a piece of packing tape on the face of the coin...make sure you have it stick tight...then rip the tape off...look on the tape...you might be shocked to see that it has taken some crud off...

 

^^^ And never underestimate the power of Heat and Cold. Taking coins out of boiling water, then popping them into a hot oven (400+ degrees) and when they are nice and toasty plunge them into cold water. They should sizzle when immersed.

 

I find olive oil to be ineffective as it takes too long. And it almost always darkens coins. If I have lots of time and patience, I use mineral oil, as it is clear.

If you post the pics individually in seperate threads, I might be convinced to do some "pro bono" attribution. :-D

 

It takes time, I wouldnt clean ancients it I didnt have patience

 

Ben:
"Yes Sir, the one distasteful aspect of modern coin collecting are the thin skinned poindexters who will file a lawsuit at the drop of a hat. I would think CoinWorld would be above such opportunistic chicanery, but one has to enforce the standard and I appreciate your catch.

Take Care
Ben"

I agree with you, but!! Coin World recently (within the past 6 months or so) had an editorial about this very item.
They are very opposed to 'copying' their material.'

So, I guess that the 'powers that be' were correct in deleting the info.

 

^^^Went into Wall, SD last evening and purchased a copy of CoinWorld. It took some looking but I finally found a grocer who sells it. Yikes, I have no doubt they are concerned about copyright infringement at $42 a year. The majority of the paper does seem to be classified and advertisements, but please answer this one question. Why is it that on the (online edition) there is a large red (@ EMAIL) button at the bottom of every article?
http://www.coinworld.com/CWemailfriendform.asp
http://www.coinworld.com/scripts/searchresults.asp?c=25&p=1&qu=copyright&Go=Go

 

It would make more sense to GRANT permission to people asking to post material (in a forum simply to illustrate a point) to show people it is worth asking and not just do it anyway. It doesnt make sense to me to say that if less people posted without asking, then they would me more inclined to change the policy...I dont see how the 2 are related at all. You reward those who are honestly trying to do the right thing (for example of the right way), and punish those who arent. I have a feeling they would always just refuse as that is their policy...

I see no reason to believe the policy would change if what people do changes as I just see no reason to refuse the honest people because there are those who dont ask and use anyway...

anyway...it doesnt matter in the end...if they go after every person who decides to repost something on their site, they will be in never ending lawsuits, good luck with that...

 

Doug, then I'm assuming that this rule applies ONLY to coin related information. Cause if you were to peruse the PRWE site you'd find complete articles from the major news (CNN, FOX, MSNBC...) & other organizations both linked and with complete or partial portions of the articles posted.

This just proves my point that many coin people are too darn thin skinned and Lawsuit Happy when it comes to use of information. Once I even had a fellow very rudely inform he owned the photo of the coin I purchased on EBay, this notice was included with the coin in letter form. I said that's fine, since I own the coin you have no right to the photos and I included a letter from a buddy who's a lawyer, LOL... I was subsequently blocked from bidding on future auctions, but I guess I allowed to use the photo of the coin since he mailed me a disk with several pictures of the Bust Half Dollar I'd purchased.

Not to worry, I'll follow the board rules to the letter in the future.

Take Care
Ben