Can solder be removed from a silver coin?
seanq
Posts: 8,636 ✭✭✭✭✭
Curious if the solder used to turn this Missouri half into some sort of jewelry piece could be removed (either chemically or with heat) without destroying the reverse? It almost looks like lead from the photo, is the melting point low enough compared to silver to melt it off the face of the coin?
I do not have the coin in hand, considering the purchase if the coin can be saved.
Sean Reynolds
Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
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Comments
It won't come off..... don't buy the coin.
there is a way, there is a person...
Might be fun to try if you could get it cheap enough where you don't mind scraping it if things don't work out. A little heat and desoldering braid might make quick work of it.
Work upside down with the desoldering braid (gravity assist)
OH and flatten those staples
Remember heat might discolored the silver. Not worth more than melt IMO. Good luck. Peace Roy
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You can't remove it without leaving a mark. My advice is a hard pass unless the price is melt or scrap.
I have long admired this Lincoln Civil War token (die combination 128/289), but it's a bear to find nice because many of them had a pin soldered on the reverse. My theory is that people wore them during the morning period after his assassination.
I had one sent to me that I had to send back because of the solder. This one, which is made of brass, was once covered with silver plating. I have never seen one with the plating intact, but they might be out there.
Even if you remove it, the lettering under it will be messed up. The coin is a lost cause.
You can show the obverse, but in my opinion the reverse (shown) is the attractive side.
Not worth the bother. I do not think that you can add any value to it, even if you do remove it. If you heat it to just the right temperature as to not bother the silver you possibly could, but the heat may discolor it more to black and make it look worse.
Thinking outside of the box...
What if you put it in a kiln?
Heated it up to the temp to melt the solder onto the desildering braid.
Might take a few tries ( worth your time??)
The solder usually alloys a bit with the surface. You can remove the bulk of it. But the surface almost always has some damage to it.
I have no experience doing what you ask, but other people may.
When I was at ANACS we received in a circulated MCMVII High Relief $20 with the broken stumps of a pin mounting in the left and right obverse fields. Somebody used to wear it as a brooch with the eagle side out. Probably looked fantastic.
We certified it as genuine, mounted. Several months later it came back with the original certificate but zero trace of the mountings. The owner said that he had sent it to a certain well-known coin restorer who had sweated off the gold solder and would we please recertify it.
That was gold; this is silver. Gold reacts to a limited number of reagents. That was a 1907 High Relief $20 gold, which is worth thousands, even with the mount. This is a Missouri commemorative half dollar that is worth hundreds except in very high grade. It professional restoration worth it? Probably not.
It’s hard to believe that the removed mount didn’t leave some sort of a mark.
Most of the solder can be removed with heat and copper braid... However, some will remain. Not worth the time expended for the result. Cheers, RickO
IMO ... No.
Excellent project coin if you have the time and know how.
Not worth the effort for most. Who knows what is under there.
It all depends on the solder used, how hot it got, etc.