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Author Topic: What happened here?  (Read 1650 times)

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CB517

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What happened here?
« on: February 08, 2011, 07:15:02 am »
Hi everyone!

I'm brand new to ancient coins and coin cleaning -- in fact this is my first coin.  Something doesn't seem right to me here, so I'd like some educated opinions on what I'm seeing.  The pics included are a before and after.

The steps I've followed:

1) Rinsed coins in tap water
2) Boiled coins for 10min in distilled water and Arm&Hammer
3) Soaked coins for an hour in distilled water
4) Scrubbed coin for 30-45 seconds per side using light pressure on a soft bristled toothbrush

What it looks like to me, and I don't feel the scans capture this, is that I've actually scrubbed the detail off the coin.  Under a magnifying glass it seems the relief of the coin is actually flaking off.  It almost feels like there was a soft coating of metal clad to another core.  I don't have enough knowledge yet to know if I'm just destroying the coin via the light scrubbing it got (I'm not afraid to ruin a $1 uncleaned, like I said it's my first) or if I'm seeing a fake (ancient or modern) or if it's something else.

Any experienced insight would be very welcomed here.

Thanks,

Chris

Offline Dino

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Re: What happened here?
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2011, 07:39:00 am »
Take a look at some of the threads on Bronze disease.

Offline areich

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Re: What happened here?
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2011, 07:47:02 am »
A crumbly patina, where even your cleaning methods were much too harsh. There's little you can do with such coins and there's a reason there are lots of them in uncleaned lots.
Andreas Reich

tkonnova

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Re: What happened here?
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2011, 05:22:45 pm »
my condolences... that is a painful way to start with uncleaned... its always difficult to make the decision to not clean an uncleaned and just flip it... but as you've learned, sometimes the dirt is all that is holding the details of the coin together... of course its difficult for someone who has purchased uncleaneds to not clean them lol.. and as difficult for a novice cleaner to determine that the coin you are working on is of the type better left alone...

gentle soaks in distilled water and light brushing with a soft toothbrush would be the start to any cleaning, and should any pockmarks with bright green inside become evident stop immediately, renwax attribute and flip the coin considering it done ..

good luck with your future uncleaneds..

of course once you've got a coin like you have in your hands... you have the option of stopping there and trying to attribute and flip it... (most would suggest that), or if you are naughty, stripping the coins patina off, probably leaving a moonscape of a coin, which then could be smoothed with diamond dusted bits and picks and whatnot, then repatinating it.. tho the odds of getting even mediocre results are very very steep...

Offline SC

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Re: What happened here?
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2011, 04:41:31 am »
Dear Chris,

It is an unfortunate start.  As Areich said these crumbly patina types are very tough.  The first trick is to recognize them, and I did what you did to a few before I learned to recognize them.

Regular bronze disease (or I should say a regular case of bronze disease) normally leaves a few areas of light, bright green.  When look at close up this will be soft and fuzzy.  It is often in pits but can sometimes swell up and hide the pit.  These coins are usually still stable and you can tackle the BD bit by bit.

The situation your coin was in is a whole different kettle of fish.  The entire coin body is soft and crumbly, only a thin layer of the original surface remains like hard icing on a cake.

These types usually show lots of damage at the edges.  By looking with a magnifying glass you can get a clue about the scope of the problem.  Gently prod part of the exposed green stuff with a hard toothpick, bamboo skewer or steel pin and you will see how soft it is.

As Tkon Nova says you then avoid cleaning and flip it.  I find that these coins can continue to crumble as friction in the flip damages it.  I have started to (gently!) wax these coins.  I know that seals in the BD but I think the BD has already run its course in these types.  The wax helps hold what remains of the surface together and reduces further flaking.

Shawn

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CB517

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Re: What happened here?
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2011, 08:27:41 pm »
Thanks for the feedback everyone.  In the end, it's a $1 coin and the lesson I've learned is much more valuable.  I'm going to -- as suggested -- wax it, flip it and move on.  I can tell already that this is going to be an addiction and my wife is pleased it's going to keep me out of trouble.   :o

Cheers!

Chris

Offline casata137ec

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Re: What happened here?
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2011, 09:36:39 pm »
Thanks for the feedback everyone.  In the end, it's a $1 coin and the lesson I've learned is much more valuable.  I'm going to -- as suggested -- wax it, flip it and move on.  I can tell already that this is going to be an addiction and my wife is pleased it's going to keep me out of trouble.   :o

Cheers!

Chris


lol...lets here the progress report on how well your wife is pleased in about a year (after you have fallen in love with an era and started collecting more than uncleaneds!)...  ;)

Chris
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Re: What happened here?
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2011, 02:29:27 am »
Good luck.  Try "Coin collecting equals staying home more and not going out and spending money on beer and pub-grub".

Just don't mention that when home you are spending your time with the coins and not her, and that it might have been cheaper to go for beer and food instead of buying all those coins...

Shawn
SC
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