Green-blue incrustation

[Tullio A]

Hello.
Hope you can help me.
I recently bought some silver coins with the same type of incrustation. This in the picture is one of them.
I would like to clean away the crust, but I don't have any idea how to make it.
Any suggestion for a newby? Or do you think it's better to leave the coins like they are?
I thank you in advance for your kind attention!

[SC]

You have copper corrosion products on a silver coin.  Your coins looks to be solid silver so the copper corrosion is likely from other items that were buried in close proximity to the coin.  The pattern of copper also supports this as it looks like the result of water deposits (water in soil that is).

I don't think you can clean it nicely mechanically, as the copper-deposits will be hard and the silver can scratch easily.

If you feel you must clean it you would have to use a chemical (mild acid) that would soften or remove the copper and leave the silver.

Check the "Cleaning silver (not silvered) coins" thread in this section for more advice (it is not something I am good at) or maybe others will add more advice.

Shawn

[Akropolis]

If ALL of them are good silver with identical encrustations, just soak them in concentrated lemon juice you can buy at a grocery store. A couple of hours should do it. The green might turn to red deposits underneath. Just keep soaking and BLOT with a soft cloth. Don't brush vigorously, or you will probably get a brightness you don't want. If stubborn red deposits occurr, try picking at them precisely with a wooden tooth pick and continue soaking.
Good luck.
PeteB

[djmacdo]

A soak in common vinegar ought remove the Green encrustations.