Philip and Philip II antoninianus cleaned

This coin came in last week , didn't like the horn silver and the yellow stuff.

1* To remove the yellow stuff I used vinegar/distilled water 50/50
after 3 hours that was gone.

2* and to remove the horn silver I used Sodium Thiosulphate 2 gram dissolved in 100 cc warm water. (stuff is available on eBay)




Please show your cleaned silver Antoniniani / Denarii coins

 

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That turned out really well!
I have so far, been afraid to try and clean any of my coins with the exception of the uncleaned ancients that I soaked in distilled water.

 

Not really what you asked for but here’s a coin I have with horn silver. I could try to remove it but I do not trust myself not to damage the coin somehow, plus this particular horn silver I do not mind. Its not covering any of the major devices, it’s not widespread, and I think it gives the coin character.

Menander I, Indo-Greek Kingdom
AR drachm
Obv: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ MENANΔPOY, helmeted, draped bust right
Rev: "Maharajasa tratarasa / menamdrasa" in Kharoshthi, Athena Alkidemos standing left seen from behind, holding shield on left arm, hurling thunderbolt in right hand, PA monogram to right
Mint: (Unknown mint in Bactria)
Date: 160-145 BC
Ref: BMC 8

 

Nice cleaning job. I have a phillip II ant with toning I've decided to leave it as it is (at least for now).

 

Great job on the cleaning. I like your method - vinegar and thiosulfate seem to be a rather winning combination. I'm impressed at how shiny your result is - the silvers I've chemically treated tend to turn out a rather dull gray color.

Here's my contribution - a Philip I ant that had a VERY thick layer of copper oxide, iron oxide, horn silver, and various mineral encrustations.

Before:

After an overnight soak in Sodium Hydroxide:

After an overnight soak in Sodium Thiosulfate:

 

Any idea if this method can be done safely with bronze coins?

 

absolutely! The results may vary, but generally speaking you can restore bronze coins with a similar hydroxide and thiosulfate method.

Here's an awful Trajan sestertius that had layers of iron oxides, copper oxides, minerals, and other oxides.

I used, in succession, Sodium Hydroxide, Vinegar, and Sodium Thiosulfate. Each treatment lasted approximately overnight.



This treatment revealed much of the legend, and even the S in the SC which was entirely not visible before the chemical dunks.

 

Here's a Caracalla denarius I cleaned using distilled water and manual work. I probably could've used the vinegar step on there, but didn't know about it back then.

Caracalla, Ruled 198-217 AD
AR Denarius, Struck 212 AD
Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT, head of Caracalla, laureate, right.
Reverse: P M TR P XV COS III P P, Serapis, wearing polos on head, standing left, raising right hand and holding transverse sceptre in left hand.
References: RIC IV Caracalla 194

And here's mine if the OP coin...

 

Great job Justin on the Serapis.
Here's my cleaned Serapis:

 

I had posted my Postumus Ant before, and it was VERY green. A few years ago, @YOC graciously PM'd me and offered to use his special sauce and clean the Great Gobs of Green Gook off my coin. It was not a high ticket spend for the coin, so it was a wonderful deal he offered.

WOW... BIG change! YOC mentioned that mine even has SILVER on it, which you could NEVER had seen in the original Green state that I received it.

Here is the Green Gook BEFORE pic:


And...

Here is my AFTER pic that I just received:
(Forgive my fast and rough photography, but the results are still dramatic!)


Postumus, 259-268 AD
antoninianus, 20 mm, 3.2 gm, Cologne
Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia standing left holding globe and transverse scepter
Ex: @TIF

PLEASE NOTE, this is the ONLY coin in my entire collection that has ever been cleaned.

I thought it was a RARE GREEN Ant... (Only ONE known...and I HAD it!)

 

Sharing my first cleaning experience with aceton:
This dupondius had a dark, ugly surface.

Rome, 120 - 121 AD, 26 x 27 mm, 12.499 g
RIC II Part 3 (2nd edition) Hadrian 403

Before:

​

After: 5 hours in a 100% acetone soak, soft brush and washing it with distilled water.

It had some dark shoe polish, wax or something that came easily off

Ob.: IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG PM(TR P) COS III Bust of Hadrian, radiate, right
Rev.: AETERNITAS AVGVSTI Aeternitas, draped, standing, facing, head left, holding up heads of Sun in r. hand and Moon in left; S C

​

Even though it is in bad shape, I honestly think it looks much better now. Hope most of you agree