I don't always clean my coins, but when I do...

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AR Denarius. 2.88g, 17.4mm. Rome mint, AD 197-198. RIC IV 118. O: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP X, laureate head right. R: PACI AETERNAE, Pax seated left, holding branch in extended right hand and sceptre in left hand.
Notes: Ugly prior to light cleaning, now supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

I wish I had the 'before' pics to prove it, but trust me when I say it wasn't much to look at... darkly-toned, with a great deal obscuring green deposits.

All I did was to dip it for a few minutes in a dilute lemon juice solution and then let it sit in a tub of distilled water for a week or two. What could go wrong? I was quite surprised to discover its new psychedelic look after I fished it out of its distilled water soak.

I guess I'll be going back to NOT trying to clean my coins . Feel free to post your cleaning attempts gone wrong.

 

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yeah, it would be nice to see what it looked like before, but it looks like like a decent psychedelic SS denarius. BTW, none of my cleaning attempts have proven to be very good. This coin was bent at a 90 degree angle when I got it in a mixed lot. I had noting to lose to straighten it. I wrapped it in a soft cloth then put it in my vise. Afterwards I tried some lemon juice to try to clean it up. Not a very good attempt at cleaning.

M. AEMILIUS (POMPEY Victory v ARETAS ); GENS AEMILIA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: M . SCAVR / AED CVR above king Aretas kneeling beside a camel r., EX on ,S . C on right, REX ARETAS in ex
REVERSE: HYPSAE (vs) / AED CVR above Jupiter in quadriga left, CAPTVM on right, c. HYPSAEVS cos PREIV (ER) in ex. scorpion below horses
Rome 58 BC
3.1g, 17mm
Cr422/1a; Syd 912

 

I would've enjoyed the bent 90-degrees 'before' pics of that coin too .

 

Just so I understand...these are after pics?

 

Wow. That far out reverse is so groovy man. It should have its own soundtrack.

 

Uhm, yeah. I had thought to try my hand at cleaning it before giving it away, but I guess now it's a 'keeper'. Let no one say I don't own my failures .

 

Lol, thanks, David... Perfect soundtrack, I quite enjoyed that.

 

My only attempt at cleaning were with 'uncleaned LRB lots' so I never kept any before photos. I generally never went beyond boiling water.....and half turned out ok and the rest the usual slugs. Then I 'experimented' with the slugs using all sorts of 'suggested' techniques and the negative results convinced me to stop at water from then on LOL

 

I was just giving you and @Bing a bit of lip. I have tried (and failed) at cleaning ancients myself.

 

Every cleaning attempt is a gamble unfortunately. As far as "failed" attempts go, this one isn't really too bad. Was that bluish purple stuff there before or is that part of the post-cleaning surprise? I can't say I've ever seen anything like that on even a debased silver coin.

 

Not a hint of the purple stuff, or the gold. Someone probably has an actual clue as to what happened... my ignorant guess would be that much of the copper in the alloy had leeched onto the surface and reacted with the lemon juice solution.

 

every single one of these LRB from an uncleaned lot looked better with the dirt on...



no after pictures take.

 

I would never suggest you do it.
But on a Zincoln or a pre-Zincoln you don't care too much about get some Magic Wadding


And give it a try.

 

Saw this coin on e-bay and got it for $5 or so...


Used potassium hydroxide, which is found in MS70 and...



Color is accurate on that one, but I also took this one..

 

I have destroy some coins to, i dont clean coins to anymore.

 

Me either

 

Only a battle you can win...

I spotted this ugly goldie for cheap-cheap on Steve Album's auction a year or so ago. Got in hand "cleaned" it.

Before (black background added in)


After....


and this little guy was hidden under the muck...uber rare countermark.

 

Well, nothing went wrong there! Nice opportunistic pickup and excellent clean-up job, noob.

 

I just stumbled onto this thread which is hilarious because I just bought myself a little treat of 10 uncleaned coins for $10 to see if I could make some heads or tails of them. Romans, not Greek, for those of you worried I will assign homework for the group, haha.

So Mikey Zee said that boiling water was his only approved method. I know a little lemon juice on silver with a toothpick can remove some black gunk. I have done that on one coin that had that problem and it did the trick.

The unclean ancients I bought seemed to have a nice layer of dirt on them. Should I buy one of the cleaning bits for $20? I refuse to use chemicals but I do not mind chipping off sand/dirt because I am pretty well aware that the coins I am buying are mostly junk to begin with.

 

Wow, Z-bro => I love your cool new purple pendant (peacock-coloured winner)