I like Cleaned Coins and you should to thread

Ketchup stains the fingers. Garum sauce fermentation.

 

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BTW - we are talking about coins encrusted in limestone. The limestone disolves in a mild acid bath.

 

This may have been true at one time long ago: "Do you know how the Smithsonian used to and probably still does take care of the US Coin Collection ? The pick the coins up and wipe them down with rags. And many if not most museums do it the same way. Not exactly what I'd call proper cleaning."

In fact, during the tenure of at least two of the curators (who shall remain unnamed) of our National Coin Collection, a large number of coins were ruined forever by improper cleaning! Several years ago NGC slabbed some coins in the collection. I don't know how many were conserved and slabbed. Unfortunately, they cannot restore a polished coin.

 

I didn't mean it to sound like I am defending the Smithsonian, or all museums. I only ment to point out how museums have art conservation experts and that it is a large business and a lot of research dollars poured into it. I don't think they respect coin collectors or coins. FWIW, the Met has no modern coins, and I believe that is a policy.

 

Not that I have ever heard of.

 

Where did you get this idea?

 

from field work

 

The way the major museums attack this problem is by developing in house consortium, and research labs, that bring in who they recognize as there best experts in restoration and cleaning. It is actually an invisible but major activities of these museums. Museums are far more than just locals to display artifacts, but, like the Museum of Natural History for example which from the start had to have in house labs and world leading research facilities (think dinosaur fossils from Mongolia), they are the major source for expertise and manpower for the technology of art preservation, cleaning and reconstruction. This is one of my favorite videos on this - it is a fun watch.

 

I meant to add, this is where the ANA can really take a step forward.

 

Cooper and Silver looks like hell from ship wrecks, FWIW.

 

well, I think they are linked to cancer.

 

https://www.moneymetals.com/guides/how-to-clean-silver-coins - one suggestion

 

cplradar, posted: "One suggestion: https://www.moneymetals.com/guides/how-to-clean-silver-coins"

Here is another SUGGESTION...I wish you would delete this Internet "crap" you discovered before more coins are ruined!

 

I clean all my coins.
Would you rather have this:


Or this:

 

I properly clean my coins too when needed. However, there are coins, and there are COINS. Nothing less than strong acid could further ruin the example coin you posted. You have made it more desirable. Coins as this are excellent to practice on.

Unfortunately, on a daily basis, I see COINS that have lost much of their value $$$ and have been ruined forever by all the misinformation around.

 

Ah yes, I have heard so many stories where some well-meaning individual "gave those old coins a nice scrub" when referring to a stack of CC Morgans or whatever.

Reminds me of, rather unrelated, but similar horror story: The Elgin Marbles of the Parthenon.
Over the course of a couple decades, museum staff used copper tools to gouge, chip, and scrape away the entirety the statues' patinas, removing 2-5mm of natural surface, in some instances.

There is also a story of the maid in Ince Blundell hall giving the antiquities in the house a "good scrubbing" with washing soda and other abrasives every spring to make them "look better."

Big oof

 

When I went to the Brittish Museum to see the Partheon Freeze, I was disappointed by the quality of the art. The surfaces are not what one would expect if they've seen similarly aged art, such as in the Prado, and, to me, they were otherwise uninspiring. They are not designed to be seen up close, but from up high. I suppose I was underwhelmed by revolutionary technique of the art. Normally, when I see an exhibit like that, I try to photograph it, but the collection itself is extensive, and not all of it is great. I ended up taking a video of the exhibit itself. Overall, I just don't this it is the most enjoyable experience one can have at a museum (for that see the Kroller-Muller Museum in the Netherlands). It is sad the hear that the statues were mistreated at museums. It is actually remarkable how often museums damage art. We have learned a great deal about this since WWII, and hopefully don't repeat historical errors. The cleaning of the Sixtine Chapel put of a firestorm of criticism.

 

I just can't help but feel there must be some way of getting those deflating finger prints off of proofs.