In a metal detecting forum I belong to, a poster was asking how to remove that ugly green stuff from dug coins. I suggested a dip in acetone and was just about boo'd from the forum by another member. They didn't seem that this was possible and would destroy the coin is used. They said soap and water would take care of the problem and only soap and water. If this happens to be Verdigris (sp), will soap and water help? I was always told to use acetone on Verdigris (sp) and PVC. Is there a link to this method of removing harmful contaminants to help them understand that is actually a trusted method used to save a coin in many cases.
Go to the top of the page and type in acetone bath in the search sec you will get a lot of info. Bruce.
Acetone will not remove verdigris. Biox will remove verdigris - Click Here To remove just plain dirt, soaking the coin in distilled water will not hurt it - soap would. Soap should never be used on coins as it leaves a film on the coins and that film cannot be rinsed away entirely without rubbing the coin. And the rubbing harms the coin.
ACW: Those detecting forums know about detecting but are not knowledgable about coins. Good idea to check with our experts here. Good luck collecting and detecting.
Nice metal experts. Sarcastism of course. Using soap is about one of the dumbist things I''ve heard in a long time. Hate to use words like dumb but if so called experts say soap, that is just dumb. I would think any expert in anything would know that for one thing ALL soaps are different. Some massively so. Some soaps contain acidic properties, others have different caustic properties. Every manufacturer has a different formulae for thier products and many change this periodically due to other manufacturers copying thier products. Many had Mineral oils so it becomes difficult and sometimes improbable that anyone can figure or find out what is actaully in thier product. The summation of this is that the soap you use may distroy a coin and the soap I use may do nothing. Then there is that statement of "and water". Same thing there unless it's distilled water. Always remember the water that many have in thier homes goes through a water softener where it picks up NaCl. This is not nice to coins. Verdigris is exposure of Copper to an Acetate and since this is an abnormal situation, usually only an expression people use that they've heard and it sounds intelligent.
