I'm very excited because I just pulled this out of my junk pile and saw a design on it. My best guess is it's a Byzantine Folli, but I could be wrong since I know so little about coinage after Romulus Augustus. Can anyone fill me in? Weight: 8.30 grams Diameter: 23 mm
Its too late. Thats why it was in the junk bin. I'm afraid to even dip it; and electrolysis would take away what's left of the design.
Constantine X 1059 to 1067 AD AE Follis, Constantinople Obvs: +ЄMMANOVHΛ IC XC, Christ on footstool holding gospels. Revs: +KωN T ΔK ЄVΔK AVΓO, Eudocia and Constantine holding labarum. 26x28mm, 5.3g Ref: Sear 1853
It's not too late. Distilled water will not harm the coin or remove any detail. But if that is bronze disease, not treating it will eventually destroy it.
@Colby J. Search for threads about bronze disease in here. There are some really good explanations and instructions for removing it. If it's not removed, bronze disease will continue to corrode the coin. Doing nothing isn't an option if you want to keep the coin. Knowing how to spot it on coins you may consider purchasing, and how to remove it from coins in your collection is an important part of collecting ancients.
What do you guys recommend. I am currently soaking the coin in a mixture of Hydrogen peroxide and water. I can't find anything online on how to cure the disease.
Gently remove as much as you can with a soft toothbrush and, if necessary, toothpick. Then soak it in pure distilled water, changing the water every other day for a week or so. Then let dry (some would say place it in the oven to desiccate - I’ve used a blow dryer before, or just kept it in a bowl of silica for a few days) and wait a while to make sure it doesn’t return before dealing with something like Renaissance Wax.
Awesome! It all is coming off. I'll update you guys with a picture when it comes off. I just ordered the Renaissance Wax as well.
A strong word of caution. If you do not remove ALL of it, it will return. There is nothing worse than pulling out a coin that you previously cured only to see the powdery green dust has returned Not sure what kind of search you did, but if you Google bronze disease, lots of good info will come up. I strongly recommend that you look through that info, and then come back with specific questions. There are chemists and ancient coin experts on here that can answer them. Completely removing bronze disease can be tricky, so keep that in mind
Not everyone is a fan of Renaissance Wax, because it can make a coin a bit overly shiny when overused, but when used sparingly it does a good job of sealing the coin from the elements (which is why you want to make sure it’s totally dry, since it will also trap moisture inside if any is left). Microcrystalline waxes like Renaissance Wax are a standard tool in any archaeology lab conserving metal objects. When applied sparingly you won’t even realize it’s there.
