Conserving Detected Dug Coins & Relics

[Cal_Cobra]

I've learned the hard way that using water with any type of abrasive process (even rubbing with your fingers and water) to clean copper/bronze coins and relics is often a mistake as it tends to destroy the natural patina and you often end up with an orang'ish pitted/splotchy relic or coin.  For things like buttons, I no longer use water, if there's gilt left I'll try lemon juice, but if it has crud, I'll use Naval Jelly. 

Has anyone tried any of the Andre Le Crayon products?

Please by all means share any successful processes your found to restore your dug relics and coins 🤠

[GB_Amateur]

39 minutes ago, Cal_Cobra said:

Has anyone tried any of the Andre Le Crayon products?

@F350Platinumhas.  I'm sure he'll respond.

[Tometusns]

Cal_Cobra,

  This is one of those topics that I normally keep silent on for fear of being chastised by the experts. lol But, oh well. 😁

  I’ve used the lemon juice on some buttons that warranted it and I think it does help. But only after I’ve used a little dish soap, water and tooth brush. But the button condition is the main determining factor on what’s done to it.
 
  You’re right about cleaning some coins. A two cent piece comes to mind. I was glad I took a photo right after I dug it because what little water and tooth brushing I did on it made the date almost disappear. lol

One of the guys in our club uses one of those pencils you spoke of and he really likes it. His words were “it’s my coin I’ll do with it what I want” and I recon he’s right.

 I made a mistake on a coin collecting site saying in a post I cleaned my coins off after I dug them. Oh my! That was a mistake. I posted a pic of a nice seated dime I found and I was bombarded with everything from there’s no way you dug that to you ruined the value completely. 
 I’ve learned that no matter what you do as to how careful you are with a silver coin that’s been in the ground very long it has environmental damage. It’s just there so I don’t worry about any rubbing the dirt off any more cause the coins already damaged before I ever dig it. The glass doesn’t lie it’s there.

 I still use dish soap, water and a tooth brush mostly but again not on everything. I also soak some in mineral oil and use a tooth pic afterwards. (This doesn’t seem to remove any green off the Indians) Baking soda on silver will shine it up. lol (I wouldn’t do that on a key coin.) 
 The one thing I’m for sure about is I don’t worry about it anymore. I clean the ones I want. I leave as much patina on others as I want. I think maybe relics are something a guy would want to make sure on before he worked them over but the coins unless you’re rubbing off details or it’s a key coin probably doesn’t matter much.

 Good luck! I’m sure there’ll be some good advice from some of the guys or gals here on what works best for them. HH Tom

[F350Platinum]

7 hours ago, Cal_Cobra said:

I've learned the hard way that using water with any type of abrasive process (even rubbing with your fingers and water) to clean copper/bronze coins and relics is often a mistake as it tends to destroy the natural patina and you often end up with an orang'ish pitted/splotchy relic or coin.  For things like buttons, I no longer use water, if there's gilt left I'll try lemon juice, but if it has crud, I'll use Naval Jelly. 

Has anyone tried any of the Andre Le Crayon products?

Please by all means share any successful processes your found to restore your dug relics and coins 🤠

Hey Cal, 

I bought the 4 pencil set, one brass, two graphite, and one steel wool pencil.

Here is one I did, before and after:

it took a long time, but came out pretty good.

[strick]

Funny you bring this up as I know you have some experience doing this and I almost called you back the other day to pick your brain...I have a couple silver coins I'd like to "restore" without damaging them...On line it's all a big secret proprietary info on what they use...I was watching this video the other day and thought we need this guy as a friend...  

strick

[Tometusns]

I’m going to guess a solution using muriatic acid is what they’re soaking in.  That’s what you would use in the pool to lower the ph. When he referred to getting the proper ph is what made me think it could possibly have muriatic acid in the solution. 
 

[GB_Amateur]

2 hours ago, strick said:

I was watching this video the other day and thought we need this guy as a friend...

Thanks, and I enjoyed watching that.  The last minute where he relates the joy of his work is particularly relevant to many of us detectorists.  I will point out that everything he did during the video appeared to be for gold coins which he pointed out haven't interacted in the seawater but rather just have a physical coating of soot which can be loosened and removed.  But note how delicate he treats those coins -- a true conservator.  I wish he had shown how they deal with silver coins which the YouTube caption clamied would be shown, but wasn't (or I didn't see it).

25 minutes ago, Tometusns said:

I’m going to guess a solution using muriatic acid is what they’re soaking in.  That’s what you would use in the pool to lower the ph. When he referred to getting the proper ph is what made me think it could possibly have muriatic acid in the solution.

Actually he mentions a near neutral pH (he said 7.2 or 7.3, which is close to accepted/defined neutral of 7.0).  Acids have lower pH, typically much lower but it all depends upon the concentrations.  Even moderate acidity that one's pallate may or may not notice is around 4.  (Dry wine and black coffee being a couple examples, although there's a lot of variation there, too.)  His solution is actually slightly basic, being higher than 7.0.

[Tometusns]

I didn’t hear or I missed what the solution consisted of. It’s obviously something that eats away the corrosion but doesn’t harm the coin. I was just guessing at what might be one of the components. Might be helpful to us to use on our coins if we knew.

[Cal_Cobra]

Okay I did this little experiment documentary. 

 

[Tom Slick]

Brian- I'd put that coin Cookie/Phoenix button in some Hydrogen Peroxide and nuke it in the microwave. On bronze, brass, copper coins it causes them to fizz like an alka seltzer and pushes the crud off without damaging the coin. shallow dish with just enough HP to cover the button. Zap for about 30 seconds or until the HP boils. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and zap again. Al long as there is no metal exposed you can zap it as many times as necessary. A tooth brush between zaps will help.