Hi everyone, I have really enjoyed CT since Phoenix 21 put me on to it. Thanks Tyler. I have a nice 1911-s Lincoln I recently picked up in a set that I have a question about and need some guidance. I have read pros and cons about cleaning....cleaning vs harsh cleaning, etc. I guess my question would be this, how is the best way to conserve this coin? It's a good date, nice condition, but the green spot(s) on the obverse have me concerned. Any imput would be appreciated. Pics are below. Thanks, George
Not too sure what you can do about the carbon spot? Don't do anything that I say here as I have no actual experience, but have heard about using acetone(if the green is pvc or organic material) and olive oil soaks for loosening up other stuff. I have no actual experience on this though, and do not recommend. Proper storage will prevent it from spreading. Hope someone with more knowledge than me can help you better.
Nice coin. VF I believe. You can't do anything about those spots. By that I mean the damage to the surface of the coin has already occurred. The best you can do is swap one type of damage for another. In this case "carbon spots/OUT, cleaned coin/IN." IMO the best solution is to put the coin in your collection, but mark it for replacement in the future. Think of this coin as a "space filler". If you adopt this line of thought, you can do whatever you wish with it; clean it or not. This is a perfect example of getting a coin with a problem. You'll always have a coin with a problem.
The green spots are corrosion and there really isn't anything to be done to reverse it. I have heard that acetone can cause other problems on copper (haven't tried it). Olive oil contains acids that might over time lead to additional damage. A soak in pure mineral oil, which is then removed by rolling qtips over the surface (not rubbing) would help keep oxygen out but I doubt it would improve the look that much (try it on a cull first, though).
I use electrolysis with a baking soda mixture. It will pull the corrosion out and then you have to coat it with something to protect it from coming back. I won't say what I use but figure out something that will coat the coin and keep moisture out. Ribbit Ps: I'm not saying what I use just in case it may end up causing damage down the road. It seems to work but only time will tell. Pps: With copper, use copper as the electrode (a common penny works) and with silver, you can use a stainless steel utensil (fork, spoon, etc...). Ppps: With extremely bad corrosion, I use a vinegar/salt water mixture in the beginning and once the bulk of the corrosion is gone, I finish it off with a baking soda mixture to neutralize the acidity from the vinegar and to get the rest of the corrosion.
