To wax or not to wax...

[Fallen Horseman]

Hello friends!

I'm new to these boards but have been collecting and cleaning ancient coins for about 8 months now and adore any old coin I can get my hands on. Figured it was time I joined these boards rather than just lurking on them. 
Anyways, I have a question that I've heard go both ways and wanted to get your opinion on if you'd be so kind....

How do you feel about putting renaissance wax on your coins? I just got a small bottle and am going to test it out on a slug just to see a before / after.

Is it just a matter of preference?

Does it do anything to help / hinder the aesthetic or market value of the coins?

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks everyone!

Chris

[Jay GT4]

Welcome,

Well that is the question isn't it?  Personally I wax my coins.  I see it as a perfectly acceptable way to maintain my coins because it can be undone.  It's a simple process to remove the wax.  I view the wax as another protection against BD and it also makes the coins look a bit deeper especially coins that have been cleaned.  Bottom line is wax will not harm your coins and most coins on the market are waxed.

[Fallen Horseman]

Huh... I actually had no idea the process could be undone! Many thanks!  I just tried it out actually on a standard issue Constantius II Fallen horsemen and really like the results as well.  Guess I'll be doing this alot in the coming days. Thanks again!

[areich]

I think 'most coins on the market are waxed' is a very bold statement. I have sometimes bought coins that were waxed but luckily that's a small minority.

[mwilson603]

I happily use renwax on many coins that I keep in my collection, and usually not on coins that I eventually will let go.  I definitely agree with the "protection against BD argument" as, (so far), I haven't had a single coin that I have waxed succumb to the disease.  I have also had great success melting renwax onto fragile patinas and it appears to strengthen the matrix of the coin stopping further flaking.  If applied carefully, you don't necessarily need to buff it to a shine, you can just leave it as a really thin matt finish on the coin.  And yes, it usually does appear to "deepen" the coin.

However, even I sometimes think that using renwax is not needed, or even wanted. If the coin already has a beautiful smooth patina with great detail, it is not necessary to us renwax.

Also, be aware that if a coin is renwaxed and then polished, it can be very tricky to photograph nicely.

Finally, it is stated that it is easily removable, and that is true is most cases.  However, if you put renwax onto a soft blue patina coin, or a slightly powdery green patina (not BD) coin, then removal can also significantly remove the patina.  If the payoff is that the coin is protected, then maybe that is OK, however if you are planning on moving the coin on then I think you should avoid waxing it.

regards

Mark

[Bobicus]

Thought I would add in my 2 cents about waxing.  In general I think waxing makes most lower grade bronze look better, so I usually do it in this case.  It doesn't seem to do anything positive or negative to better bronze or silver.

One drawback of waxing is that it make the photography of the coin quite a bit harder because the wax reflects light and causes glare.

[Fallen Horseman]

I did notice the photography frustrations on a Constans I was trying to get a picture of yesterday.... So it's a catch 22. It looks better but you can't show it off!

Note to self: Photograph, THEN wax!

[Aktina]

One more vote for Waxing.

Protection, Protection and Protection.