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Author Topic: advice  (Read 811 times)

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Offline nikopolis1

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advice
« on: July 28, 2011, 10:16:08 am »
Advice needed how to clean this coin especially this green stuff between the letters.The coin was mechanically clean from dirt then followed by a short soak 30 seconds in lemon juice and toothbrushing.Some of the green was clean but some the patina gone aswell .So is there any way to clean the coin and keep the patina intact.

Offline SC

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    • A Handbook of Late Roman Bronze Coin Types 324-395.
Re: advice
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2011, 03:19:52 am »
Nikopolis,

What exactly did the lemon juice remove?

What the image shows is a bronze coin with a lot of silvering let on it.  I can't tell how much of the dark is where silvering has worn off or where there is a dark layer over the silvering.  While it is true that patina is good and is usually to be kept with silvered coins it can be desireable to get green or black stuff (technically patina) off the silvering.

In any event it is very risky to use lemon juice on a bronze coin though some people do to tackle to stuff on the silvering.  Make sure you have soaked it in distilled water with several water changes to neutralize the acid.  Even dry it can still be attacking the coin.

They the only way to tackle to coin is mechanical.  Sharp blade and magnification.

Shawn
SC
(Shawn Caza, Ottawa)

 

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