SwiftSword Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Found in Eastern Mass. This coin had no circulation wear, you can even see the grooves on top of the stars. It probably went from the mint straight into the ground, where it proceeded to rot. There was plenty of corrosion above and below the original surface of the coin. I used my fossil prep skills and tools to expose the black patina without going through it. It's very brittle and as thin as the skin of your teeth. It was gone in many places, though, with a gritty, rusty layer of corrosion on top of a spongy layer of verdigris. The colors effectively camouflaged the coin's features, so at the end I used some watercolor lamp black in alcohol to tint the surface. Once dry, I applied a sealant similar to Renaissance Wax and called it good enough. Total time was about three hours, and I haven't done the reverse yet. There is, of course, no numismatic value to this find, but I don't find largies that often, so at least I'd like them to look their best 😄 Starting point mechanical cleaning finished After tinting and sealing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCR Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Excellent. I still need to improve my patience level to approach your results. The absence of circulation wear is really something. Thanks for posting the step by step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Bach Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Outsanding work SS very meticulous.From the mint and straight into the ground? That's very possible judging by the condition of your coin...Very nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwiftSword Posted October 20, 2023 Author Share Posted October 20, 2023 @JCR - I couldn't do hours of this on end, nor would my wife let me 😄 ten minutes here, fifteen minutes there, steady does it! @Doc Bach it is indeed something special. You can even see the grooves on top of some of the stars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPT_GhostLight Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Beautiful coin and an awesome find SwiftSword, well done! I would like to know more about how you get that crud layer off. I've recently been finding old silver coins in dump sites and it seems like that crud is impossible to remove, specially if I try to use soap and water, it just blackens and hardens. what tools do you use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexHunter Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 185 years of being beautiful. That's a lot of patience, but well paid off... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UT Dave Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 That's a really impressive restoration on a really neat find! - Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvpopeye Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 Amazing difference after you finished. You have skills. 🧐 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valens Legacy Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 Great find , but a better restoration job. I have a couple of IH's that my grandfather had found and was going to try to clean up before he passed away. Some day I hope to find someone that can clean them up so I can have them put in a frame. Good luck on your next hunt and hope that the backside turns out just as good as the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim tn Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 Nice coin and great restoration. HH jim tn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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