uncleaned coins - before and after

I see! My mistake then. Sorry. It did seem to have an unfortunate connotation as written, without the qualifier.

 

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Damn these turned out great!

Was this lye solution weaker than the following post where the nice obverse was obliterated? Or is there no method to the madness?

 

. . . Ya done good, Kid

 

Thanks! The Nero wasn't as bad as the others. It was soaking in DW and manual picking with toothpick and a straight dental-like pick that my wife had from her pottery days. It was mostly hard dirt on there. The Agrippa wasn't too bad for the white parts, but the corrosion takes a lot of work and sore fingers, fingertips, and hand just working and working at it. Soaking in DW, I even tried to see if any chemicals under my bathroom sink (like soap scum, hard water, mildew remover stuff) worked and it really didn't soften it up at all. This was the same process and stuff for the Caligula as well, only it took much more time and effort than the Agrippa. I had gotten them at the same time so worked on one while the other soaked, and tag-teamed them. No magic, just hard work. . (That Caligula was HARD!)

Nero thread: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/before-after-cleaning-a-nero-victory-as.327439/
Agrippa & Caligula thread: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/guess-the-crusty-coin-and-their-journey-to-clean.328892/

More recently, I did successfully use Verdicare to help soften some hard green coating on a Bruttium coin

Before:


After:


Thread which showed it's progress here: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-handful-of-new-coins-some-needed-work.360938/#post-4542052

And a Caracalla denarius from last year:

After/Midway/Before:


It's thread: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/sour-puss-caracalla-lemon-juice-tips.337913/

 

All of those coins were actually in the exact same solution. I just dumped the bunch in, went to bed, and checked progress the next morning

 

This was my latest project, before and now (probably finished with this one).

Before:





As of 7-10-20:



Note: this coin has been treated with Renwax.

 

I just read your two old threads , impressive work ! , I also cleaned a Nero Victory As back in 2017(the coin was presented on forum) and an Agrippa As(is here on the first page). I have a Caligula Vesta As , but it does not require cleaning

this is the Nero As cleaned three years ago :

 

Before


After

 

Waw ! What did you used to clean the coin ?

 

Magic soup!

 

Reverse


After

 

Yeah come on you can't just drop a gem like that with no methodology

 

It looks like the results I got from lye. Im gonna place my bet on that

 

here's a couple I cleaned

 

Louis the Pious, Carolingian Empire/Republic of Venice
AR denier
Obv: +HLVDOVVICVS IMP, legend around cross in circle
Rev: +VEN / ECIAS, legend in two lines
Mint: Venice
Date: 818-840 AD
Ref: MG 456v, MEC 789





Tiberius, Roman Empire
AR denarius
Obv: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head right
Rev: PONTIF MAXIM, Livia (as Pax) seated right, holding long scepter in her right hand and olive branch in her left; plain chair legs
Mint: Lugdunum
Date: 14-37 AD
Ref: RIC 26

 

incredible transformations ! especially the Vespasian and even the thin Venice coin

 

Scrubbing brush, vinegar and elbow grease.

Athens New Style c 47 BC
Very rare very late post-Sullan of Diokles for the 2nd time.

 

Well I tried me some vinegar and the results didn't really work out that well. unfortunately. This was sort of a regression.
BEFORE:

AFTER submersion in vinegar for several hours.

AFTER Jax black patina restorer and Renaissance wax. The Jax evened out the pinkish copper, but highlighted the bright colored deposits on the reverse.


None of these really look good, and I think I rather ruined this coin.

Sort of a case of....

 

the surface was to corroded to obtain something , an acid solution could only do it more harm.
yes, the coin was nicer before

 

I feel better since the coin only cost like $0.85, but I still cry everytime I ruin a coin.

Hopefully the Commodus denarius I'm trying will work out better.