Toxicity of Ancients

[cnovak]

As a new collector, I'm curious about how much toxicity there is in ancient coins. Is there a general consensus as to the presence of lead and other undesired heavy metals in ancient coins? I know that silver is often found alongside lead - should that be a concern? I don't intend to nibble on my tetradrachm, but I will handle my coins on occassion and I will be buying the occasional uncleaned batch (do uncleaned coins present any special consideration?)

There are some very sophisticated collectors here, and I've even seen reference to spectrography, so I'm sure that someone has explored this issued before.

Thanks,
Christopher

[Circus_Maximus]

there was a recent mention of a related article but I have yet to see it and wonder myself.

[PeterD]

There are a number of analyses that have been done on Roman coins. All coins contain quite a range of metals and chemicals, including lead and arsenic. Depending on time and place, both bronze and silver coins can contain quite a bit of lead - up to 10%. Silver and lead are often found together in nature, so cross-contamination is quite likely.

At any rate it's not a good idea to stick your ancient coins in your mouth!

[gavignano]

Although this is a bit of a crosover to the uncleaned board, should cleaners wear some type of mask, as in possibly inhaling lead particles? I wonder abut this. And I hope the arsenic concentrations are really small..........
Actually, has anyone heard of a profesional or serious cleaner getting sick from cleaning?

[basemetal]

Like the safety notices on car sunshields(the kind that keep the inside of your car cool in the summer) that carry the notice "Remove before driving",
perhaps Joe should label his sold coins "Do not take internally".  Though I wonder if that "feed a goat a coin and it comes out with a beautiful patina" holds true-lol!
Seriously, from the coin cleaning point of view, the human skin and respiratory system is a marvelous absorber of all things chemical and though the coin may not be harmful, even seemingly harmless chemicals shouldn't be needlessly absorbed.
I once heard a guy at a coin show talk about how Dellars Darkener  was best applied by the bare fingers.
 

Bruce
Basemetal

[Jerome Holderman]

On the topic of uncleans, I always clean them under running water to avoid dust, I do recall someone posting here about tests showing heavy amounts of lead, so in my opinion it is not worth the risk. But if you must clean them dry I would reccomend a dust or particulate respirator to avoid unnecessary exposure.

I once heard a guy at a coin show talk about how Dellars Darkener  was best applied by the bare fingers.
 

Is there reason to be concerned about that? I always apply it with my bare fingers??  From what I understand it is sulpher and petrolium jelly.....

[ROMA]

I've apply Dellers with my fingers, never had a problem, and i dont think there's any reason to worry

[bpmurphy]

Actually, has anyone heard of a profesional or serious cleaner getting sick from cleaning?

Yes. Ask Herb of Nemesis for the details. His cleaner almost died.

Barry Murphy

[dafnis]

In my current job I deal with among other industrial environmental matters - what you all refer to would be descried as part of general  hygiene - we need to take a practical approach...
Lead, arsenic, etc. are harmful elements/metals when taken in a high dose over a lenghty period of time. Of course tests should be done when you want to be precise, but as far as experience dictates (and taking much more harmful materials as basis of our discussion) a coin with a high % of harmful metals only when dealt with very regularly could have a harmful effect... and by dealt with I mean causing the coin to really liberate in form of either powder or dust those metals... which I believe none of us does!
Regular cleaning/handling of ancient coins is from my point of view completely safe.

[Jerome Holderman]

I agree that it would take more than casual exposure to cause a problem, but I do not agree that there is no risk, I think someone cleaning and handling hudreds of uncleans a month as I do, for several years as I have, but cleaning them dry which can produce a lot of dust and particulate matter, and with out a dust mask or particulate respirator could be very much at risk for exposure to these materials. 

[gavignano]

I think it could be dangerous also. Most likely, via cleaning dry regularly, as Jerome said, via something like a Dremel, you know, when you are a few inches away from the coin to see better.....indoors, in the basement, with poor ventilation...most of us wouldn't do this I know, but that doesn ot seem risk free to me, small concentrations of exposure or not.

[SC]

If you are doing anything which brings up lots of dust wear a dust mask.

Though toxicity is an important consideration if you are dealing with a lead coin/token or with bronze disease, it is also prudent to avoid inhaling the large quantities of fine dirst that cleaning can produce.

Shawn