Ancient Coin Cleaning. Input welcome
coffeyce
Posts: 1,050 ✭✭✭
In the past few months I have been doing a lot with ancients. Mainly Roman with some Greek and other coins. I bought many un-cleaned or semi cleaned and then just used my time to work on them which was more cost effective mostly.
I had shared these on another site prior but was busy with things to post it here and I didn’t think these was too much of an ancient following here.
This is one I picked up real cheap being un-cleaned but I could also see it had an good amount of detail underneath the dirt. I spent about a week cleaning it with hand tools. It still needs a little touch up work but I think it was well worth the $10.
Arabia Petra Elagabalus AE19
Another was a Hadrian provincial Coin AE Petra Metropolis. This one was a little harder to clean as the dirt deposits were more hardened. I have worked on it about a week and it still has a little ways to go.
Comments
I'd like to know what techniques, tools and chemicals you used to remove the surface debris. Peace Roy
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basically I used hand tools. I have included a picture below. I wont use electric or chemicals as too easy you destroy your coin. Romans and ancients are not easy to clean. If you don't have patience it will upset you and still might if you have patience. If you try to rush cleaning you will end up scratching your coin. ( i made this mistake before and sometimes again when I get impatience. I have learned to walk away and come back later. Normally you cant clean a coin in one sit down or two ect. As far as technique you want to use small circles not straight lines. Many things you can check on the net. the fine needle points are for inside letters and designs
Edited: Andre' is a very good set for pencils. The come in a good four pack.
Nice tool set up. Art, drafting, dental tools. Your patience is paying off. Peace Roy
BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall
Have you tried an ultrasonic bath on any of these coins?
BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall
Ive never tried ultra sound but from research and others ive heard its pretty much a no help unless you spent money on a very high end piece. Unfortunately I don't think there is any way to rush cleaning of these.
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@coffeyce said: "Ive never tried ULTRA SOUND but from research and others [??] I've heard its pretty much a no help unless you spent money on a very high end piece. Unfortunately I don't think there is any way to rush cleaning of these.
What about ultrasonic cleaning?
@coffeyce I have an older friend who is able to 'improve' heavily encrusted coins dramatically (especially ancients). My friend does almost all of his work with small hand tools - picks (both metal and soft woods), small brushes, and knives (when necessary). You seem to be on the same path that my friend follows.
My friend always says that it takes him lots of time and also judgement on when to stop! My friend also says that doing this work for a long time is a cumulative learning process and you get better with experience.
My friend has an ultra-sonic cleaner and also a small amount of chemicals, but these are apparently for refurbishing second-hand jewelry (which he has some fair success in resales).
Many would be surprised at how much time and how much hand work goes into conserving many coins. There are "dip shops" doing "conservation" and charging for it and there are the "artists" - some are even the "coin doctors." If you don't use a stereomicroscope regularly (at least to evaluate the coin) for your work, you are probably not in the same league.
The OP is doing some very good work but cleaning an ancient is far different from improving/restoring a numismatic "gem."
People use hand tools, chemicals and electric tools. I'm sure just about anyway you think of it. Usually unless your very skilled and try electric tools and chemicals it will damage the coin or remove the patina. You can do the same with hand tools if you try to rush it. There are some you get that have very weak patinas that you may damage anyway with hand tools. Ancient cleaning is not an exact science due to many varying conditions of being buries for 1000-2000 years.
Maybe I didn't write it clearly the first time. To my knowledge and research it doesn't work for ancients. You might get minor loose surface debris off.
I have seen many that do amazing work that I will probably never accomplish. Generally the only chemicals per say I use is vulpex soap and also MSR if they are heavily encrusted. I had restored my own modern coins with great luck many times. Night and day work and time difference than with ancients. I have to take several week breaks at times and really be in the mood to clean ancients. The patience of a kindergarten teacher is needed...
To a certain extent, I believe my friend uses quality olive oil for both loosening crust on ancients and for subsequent preservation. But I am hesitant to say too much because I don't know why and when he uses it. I don't know more than I know, so ... be careful with it!
Olive oil is great especially for controlling corrosion after cleaning but it seems to darken the patina.
I have cleaned some ancients in the past, but have neither time nor patience. Olive oil soaks DO help soften the encrustation, but it really depends on where, physically, the coin was buried and in what type soil because the crud on there varies from coin to coin. I've used old dental tools (but they are getting hard to find the old single-piece ones) and have great luck using hawthorn thorns which are plentiful in most US and Canadian towns. They are long, extremely sharp, and nearly indestructible ... they can even be resharpened. I use hawthorn a great deal cleaning Canadian Vicky large cents.
@coffeyce said: "In the past few months I have been doing a lot with ancients."
Do you work on them wet or dry? What type of magnification do you use?
There are lots of dental pick tool sets on Amazon prime not expensive. I just ordered a set of 5 single pick ends for like $7. My niece is a landscaper and I have an order in for Hawthorne thorns. Peace Roy
BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall
I work on them wet. I use a digital HD Microscope (I believe it magnifies up to 220x) with a small lcd screen that can also connect to the TV by HDMI.
Interesting thread!
My YouTube Channel
Most collectors try to remove debris on dry coins using only their eyes. They have no idea the correct way to work on a coin.
I do tons of research before I play with unknown things. If dry you run a large risk of the dirt/gunk scratching the coin.
I've seen a few guys use chemicals and just kill coins removing all the patina and end up with a shinny new ancient.
I am reading experience and common sense. Thank you guys. Peace Roy
BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall