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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Kentucky, post: 8326439, member: 33176&quot;]If you don&#039;t know what cerumen is, look it up... <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />&nbsp; Now, as to the practice of adding anything to a coin&#039;s surface, it could be done to increase the eye appeal or to protect the surface from the rigors of environment including handling and atmospheric contaminants.&nbsp; Renwax is a &quot;microcrystalline wax&quot; and if you search that term, it isn&#039;t very unambiguous.&nbsp; Petroleum byproduct...hmmm.&nbsp; I&#039;m assuming it is mostly hydrocarbon.&nbsp; We all have a picture in our heads when we hear &quot;acid&quot; of a bubbling vat that will dissolve whatever goes into it, but when you drink milk, you get a healthy dose of lactic acid, citrus fruits have citric acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin C).&nbsp; Waxes, in general are long chain (lotsa C atoms linked together) &quot;fatty acids&quot; and compounds made from these.&nbsp; AFAIK they will do no harm to coins either short term or long term.&nbsp; The &quot;shiny&quot; appearance that coins take on after use of any wax (or oil) is due to the wax or oil filling in the voids (pores) in the coin surface.&nbsp; The coating would give the coin protection from handling or environmental hazards and could be removed when desired.&nbsp; As far as allowing BD to proliferate, every effort should be made to get all BD off and assure the coin is DRY, even if this requires putting it in a warm (not hot) oven for awhile.&nbsp; BD will not grow in the absence of moisture and the wax will seal the surface from moisture.</p><p><br /></p><p>Something I have wondered for awhile is the use of linseed oil on coins.&nbsp; Linseed oil is the &quot;oil&quot; of oil paints.&nbsp; It goes on as a thick liquid but then reacts with oxygen in the air (an advantage?) to cross-link and form a polymer.&nbsp; Anyone have any thoughts on this?</p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, a question for [USER=24314]@Insider[/USER] and/or [USER=79368]@Barry Murphy[/USER] about coins treated with Renwax and some such.&nbsp; Would this keep them from being certified?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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