Here we go again

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Well, according to Dictionary.com, JustCarl is correctly defining verdigris, but so is GDJMSP.

Gee, how mean is it to claim that a word can mean more than one thing.

 

Didn't mean to start a controversary about contamination on coins. Glad I did though because I just learned there is a River with a strange name like that. Also, not to contradict a dictionary, but I just go by about 30 to 40 Chem books sitting here in my library. Went back and checked with Webster's and and old Funk & Wagnall's and all agree that Verdigris is an Acetate.
However, since this is a coin forum, not a chem class, I'll agree with whatever. The main thing to know is that a coin beginning to form greenish corrosion should be stopped as soon as possible. This is normally from the air. Also, remember removing such contamination will also remove metal that has been chemically changed. Best to just stop the corrosion regardless of what you want to call it and/or leave the coin alone.

 

In the spirit of further knowledge.....and I truely believe spliting hairs on definitions is part of that process.....it would be interesting just to see (well to me anyway) what the average chem make up of the corrosion on our coins is. Personally, I don't have the knowledge or means to do any testing. I dunno, a random sample of even 10 cirulated lincolns with green/blue corrosion would be a start. It might give insites into better ways to prevent, halt, or even possibly safely remove the average corrosion from our coins. And heck, even the term for the stuff might rightly be changed

***An example of what I mean is the blue/green corrosion caused by PVC. Someone figured out the cause and it changed the materials coin collectors use to encapsulate and store coins.

 

OK lawdogct, I just have been trying to say that with NORMAL contamination on copper coins it is copper sulfite or Sulfate. The amount scrapped off even ten copper coins would take a spectrometer to properly anylize. However, way back in a college lab we did take a pile of greenish pennies left out somewhere and dumped them into distilled water and heated. The resulting solution of greenish stuff was filtered and allowed to form crystals which ended up being CuSO4 through the shape of the actual crystals.
However, this proves nothing except that due to locations in the US the air contains different polutents of which in this area SO and SO2 are common.
Again, CH3COOH is just to heavy to be air born and form contaminates on coins. However, if left in your salad using vinagar as a dressing, you may also form a greenish color on the penny. Since it is the moisture in the air that carries that contaminates to your coins, just keep them in an air tight container. Presently I am trying to see what happens by putting copper coins in the freezer.