Can I save this coin?

[Batista]

Hi all,

Another coin to clean. This coin looks real good and it's a shame to loose that darkned silver patina:

VICTORINUS 269-271
IMP C VICTORINVS PF AVG - INVICTVS

So what do you think? Can it be saved? What cleaning method should I use?

[Akropolis]

Are the green deposits hard green, or powdery green when scratched with a wooden toothpick?
PeteB

[Batista]

Hi,

The green deposits are hard green.

[Akropolis]

Then, in my opinion, don't touch the coin.
Let's see what others say.
A VERY nice coin.
PeteB

[Batista]

Thank you for your opinion Akropolis.
I also like this coin very much and I'm afraid to touch and ruin it.
But that residue in the emperors face is anoying the hell out of me... 

[SC]

If the green is hard then you have malachite - a copper carbonate product formed when the copper that leached out other coins or items buried near yours was carried in water in the soil and deposited over many years onto your coin.  That is why some of the green looks streaky, like a water flow. 

Your only way of removing malachite is with a scalpel under magnification.  And that risks damaging a perfectly good coin.  The malachite is softer than the metal of the coin, but might be harder than the patina and any silvering which you want to retain.

Not sure what the other coloured deposits are.  If they are hard then they may be similar deposits of leached iron (rust coloured) and even possibly lead (light coloured).  On the other hand those could just be dirt deposits that might clean off.  It is possible that only the green is truly hard.

SC