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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Drusus, post: 421628, member: 6370&quot;]This was developed about 50 years ago as an answer to issues with things like bees wax and other preservation methods that were either acidic, almost impossible to remove, caused discoloration, etc...It was developed by the British Museum as an alternative to other coating materials that had draw backs. It has been a standard ever since.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Certainly, as I treat all advice, my own should be treated as just that. One should look into it and see if its what you want to do. I probably should have said something of the sort but I was just in a hurry.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The website says it, and I agree with:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&#039;museum technicians and others caring for important collections could use wax polish that neither caused future conservation problems nor detracted from the intrinsic values of their treasures.&#039;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Now I dont use it as a polish, I simple apply a very fine coat to some ancient bronze and copper coins. I use it because I have lost coins to corrosion and to be honest, I do not mind if my ancient coin has a bit of a sheen to it...much better than locking it away into a slab which probably does less to protect the coin and talk about a sheen!!...One major reason why I use it is because I live in a place with general high humidity and I feel my coins are at more risk.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I am like a museum in that I want the coin to have eye appeal...I dont think this wax gives coins more eye appeal though...it might give other things like wood more eye appeal, I think it just gives coins a layer of protection. I do not think a single coin I have used this on (all ancients) would have a lower value because of it...in fact I know it wouldnt. I also know a lot of coins I have bought from others have a coat of it on the coin...I am fine with that. I think the British Museum cares more about preservation of the outstanding collections they have than making them pretty and shiny, though there is nothing wrong with a coin being pretty and having eye appeal...I just dont think the BM would harm a coin tin favor of eye appeal...I think they are more about conservation as the coins they have already have outstanding eye appeal being some of the finest examples. If I had a bronze statue that was a few thousand years old, I would not hesitate to use this on it to preserve it...nor would I with ancient bronze coins.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Many people quote, value, and recite &#039;accepted practice&#039; whether it be cleaning, grading, whatever. Just earlier today there was a bit of discussion about repatinating a coin...this is, in general, accepted practice in ancients, one I am not a fan of...cleaning issues are far less in ancients than in modern coins...many practices that are accepted as norm in ancients would be shunned by modern coin collectors, I have used a wire brush to clean a coin....this is fine if you need it in ancients...never in modern. I see modern coin collectors spouting off what you can and cant do...strict guidelines, rules never to be broken.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I would say that the use of Ren Wax is also considered, in general, standard practice...one that I have decided to use simply for the protection of what I see as valuable ancient treasures. I chose not to follow some, others I feel are okay. There are certainly people who do not like ren wax, many who do but as a whole, I would say it is highly regarded as a tool for preservation. In the end, like was said...one must make ones own choices and educate yourself as to what you are doing. I tend to agree with many of the practices of the British Museum and follow many of their guidelines and practices.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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