Draped Bust Large Cent in Olive Oil for a period of months.

jesbroken

I've been using olive oil for many years with IHC's, Lincoln's and 2 Cent Pieces but earlier this year I started placing some corroded and verdigris Large Cents in Olive Oil. Here is a result for my first removal and a rose thorn. Hope you enjoy the results. Before and then After results. I did not think it would be this much change. Take a guess as to how many months the coin soaked.
Jim

Paradisefound

WOW! 6months?

TomB

The lighting appears quite a bit different. Is that correct? If so, interpretation is mighty risky.

jesbroken

Oh, I'm sure the lighting was different as they were photographed months apart. But I will say this, they were both photogrpahed with the same light fixture, but unknown as to the direction or angle. For all new experiments, I will see that the exact lighting and position is used. In no way are the photos juiced. Coin was removed soaked in warm water and patted dry with no other treatment.
Jim

TomB

I didn't think the images were edited in a way to favor one aspect or another, but I know from taking many thousands of coin images that the angle of lighting (not just the type of lights or distance from the coin or custom settings used on the camera or rotational positions of the various lights) will greatly affect what the viewer will see in the end product. Hairlines, spots, stains, gouges, verdigris and all manner of coin "sins" can be hidden or revealed with lighting just as toning can be enhanced or slightly changed.

That's why these images are tough for me to interpret.

lkenefic

I agree... the "before" set of images look a bit brighter than the "after" set of images.

jesbroken

The camera angle is definitely different as I angled it a bit from the south to the north in order to get a more complete 5. It's soaking again and I will photograph it again in another 2 months. I want to soak all for 6 months. I will be starting 7 new coins in a couple of weeks when they all arrive and 2 or 3 are completely covered with verdigris so there should be some damage underneath the verdigris. I have 2 now that have only been in a month. Sorry I didn't think about the photos but from now on I will use the camera stand and the 3 different lighting systems I have, incandescent, ott and some new Joe said were great.
Jim

braddick

Definitely better, regardless of the lighting variances.
I'd guess eight months of soaking.

amwldcoin

I pretty much dissolved a coin I put in olive oil and forgot about one time. It was a hefty copper British large cent.

lkenefic

Well... one spot where I see it "worked" is on the reverse under ONE CENT around the bow and ribbon area. The before image looks to have some greenish verdigris buildup in the devices which was dissolved in the olive oil treatment leaving a few pock marks. I suppose it's a case of "pick your poison"... which version is less objectionable.

As for how long it takes to accomplish this? I've had mixed results... I'll guess 8 months, but I've left late date LC's for as little as 4 months with decent results and a certain 1819 that was left for a year with no effect. I came to the conclusion that it largely depends upon the nature of the corrosion whether you're going to get rid of it, or not... and you might not like what's underneath after you do.

Aotearoa

I have a few candidates...

jesbroken

@Ikenefic The area northwest of CENT is nearly cleaned of verdigris, just a rose thorn. The area below CENT to the fraction is still coated in verdigris, but only a small amount of the original. It has not had a rose thorn used on it. This coin was only in soak for 2 months and 1 week. I took it out early because I was bored. I will let it soak for at least another 2 months or longer if need be. I will say this and have no idea if it means anything or not. I have done this for over 10 years but not ever with Large Cents, but with IHC's, Lincoln's, and Two Cent Pieces, with only some success. This time for whatever reason I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil rather than just Olive Oil. As I said I do not know if that even matters or not, but will have a better idea this fall.
@Aotearoa show some photos of your coins. I'm looking for bright green spots or lighter green solid cover.
Jim

lilolme

I am not a copper person so this might be a dumb thought, but do you agitate the olive oil and / or coin every so often. That is to get a fresher olive oil solution around the coin surface. I am assuming you are letting it soak in the same olive oil without changing for the x month period. Maybe this is incorrect but if so, then how often do you change out the olive oil.

DollarAfterDollar

Id guess 2 months but either way it's nicer. You can arrest the vertigris with the tiny amount of acid in the olive oil and have a porous coin or you can let the vertigris eat at it until there's nothing left. I choose conservation.

jesbroken

It never has, but if the EVOO should turn cloudy I would replace it. If one side is far worse than the other(which is usually the case) I leave it facing upward into the oil. Should both be equally covered, I would turn them every month. I'm learning at this as are most because all I ever did years ago was put them in olive oil and go back 3 to 6 months later and didn't even use a rose thorn. BTW, if you do not have rose bushes go to any Cheddars or other top tier restaurant and break off a few thorns, not branches. Or your neighbors.
Jim

P0CKETCHANGE

Feels like you are leaving out some critical details here…

Italian?
Cold-pressed?
Extra virgin?
Tin or bottle?
Tasting notes?

spacehayduke

Olive oil is mildly acidic, and can vary in degree of acidity, so some might be more corrosive than others - it is useful to test out a bottle first with a piece that is expendable......... Yours does not look like it dissolved the copper so that is good, I'd say 4 months.

Best, SH

Paradisefound

I heard Olive oil is also good on your skin.

Different lighting …… or olive oil 🤔☺️😘

Tibor

Back in the mid 60's I had 6 Mercs that had some gunk on them. I soaked them in warm
water and after 30 minutes I tried removing the gunk with a toothpick. No luck. One of my
dads friends suggested soaking them in olive oil. I soaked them in the oil for 1 month, nothing.
After several attemps, at the 3 year mark there was some success. Sold them during the
silver run up of 79-80.

PerryHall

I've read that mineral oil works well and it doesn't turn rancid like olive oil. Does anyone here have any experience using mineral oil?

logger7

@Paradisefound said:
I heard Olive oil is also good on your skin.

Different lighting …… or olive oil 🤔☺️😘

With or without "makeup", some coins you have to be careful with....

amwldcoin

@Paradisefound said:
I heard Olive oil is also good on your skin.

Different lighting …… or olive oil 🤔☺️😘

My wife goes through a bottle every few months!

1630Boston

@jesbroken said:
It's soaking again and I will photograph it again in another 2 months. I want to soak all for 6 months.
Jim

An educated guess would be less than or equal to 4 months

lkenefic

@PerryHall said:
I've read that mineral oil works well and it doesn't turn rancid like olive oil. Does anyone here have any experience using mineral oil?

I use glass petri dishes for my soaks. I guess the seal is pretty good and I do acetone treatment prior to soaking in olive oil, so that should remove contaminants that would cause the olive oil to go bad. That said, I did have one instance where I had to "start over" because the olive oil started to turn cloudy. Mineral oil? Hmmmm.... never tried it...

ricko

I would guess 5 months... I have used EVOO on a large cent that had a verdigris spot, minor, but it worried me. Two months and a rose thorn, then another month just to be sure. Since it was minor, it left no discernible mark and the coin was fine. That was the only time I used olive oil. Cheers, RickO

Paradisefound

Still debating if I should use GooGone to remove a tiny black sticky substance on my raw Peace Or is it more natural to use Olive Oil?

amwldcoin

@Paradisefound said:
Still debating if I should use GooGone to remove a tiny black sticky substance on my raw Peace Or is it more natural to use Olive Oil?

I would try acetone 1st!

jesbroken

As I said earlier, this 1805 was soaked for 2 months, I do see where the lower portion between cent and fraction still has the outline of the verdigris which has not been removed. The upper portion from cent up and left has been removed. I will soak for another 2 months and remove, use a rose thorn to remove any visible verdigris and rinse and rephotograph and then replace in soak for 2 months for a total of 6 months, then repeat as needed. The other coins I will photograph upon arrival and place in soak and as they are far worse I will leave them undisturbed, unless cloudy, for the full 6 month period and then reevaluate. Seems like a lot of time, but for coins worthless before to have a chance at being returned to an attractive appearance, "ain't hardly nothin".
Jim

1630Boston

From the Colonial Coin Collectors Club, 2004
.

jesbroken

I personally do not like the results I have gotten using acetone on copper coins. JMO
Jim

lilolme

@Paradisefound said:
Still debating if I should use GooGone to remove a tiny black sticky substance on my raw Peace Or is it more natural to use Olive Oil?

Don't want to deflect the thread to much but should also consider what your coin looks like. If it is white unc that is one thing. But if it has any color to it or is circulated, then when the black spot is removed you might be left with another spot where that black spot was. Might consider starting a thread with a picture so those with more knowledge than I can evaluate.

jesbroken

That is an interesting read, @1630Boston especially this part:

I wonder as this was such a rapid result if perhaps my Kroger brand EVOO was not actually EV but plain OO with a higher acidic content. I have read 7 articles to include Forbes and Washington Post that in 2007 it was discovered that 70% of all EVOO on the shelves in California was not EV but just OO(which would have a higher acid content according to your post). I also have read via google that the problem still exists across the nation and in most stores. Maybe why the bottles are now mostly green or brown so the color can't be noticed at the store during purchase. I don't know if any of this is true but it sure is a prevalent story across the internet regarding fake EVOO.
Thanks all for your replies. Some good info here.
Jim

lilolme

I don't know if this reference is correct but this is what it has for acidity.

https://www.oliveoil.com/olive-oil-acidity-index/

EVOO
Free acidity: To be deemed EVOO, this olive oil must have a free acidity percentage of less than 0.8% under the IOC standard. Other standards fix the maximum free fatty acid for EVOO at 0.5%. Premium quality EVOOs will usually have free acidity well under 0.3%. Free fatty acid is only one of the many quality and authenticity parameters olive oil chemistry must meet.

VOO
Free acidity: To be considered virgin olive oil, this olive oil must have a free acidity percentage of less than 2%. The other chemical parameters for quality are set at a less restrictive level than for extra virgin grade.

Regular OO
Free acidity: This olive oil must have a free acidity percentage of less than 1%. The refinement process brings down the acidity of the oil.

Light / Extra Light OO
Acidity: This olive oil must have a free acidity percentage of less than 1%. The refining process brings down the acidity of the oil.

tcollects

remember everyone to do these experiments far away from your wives' sight

I speak from personal experience

jesbroken

Why, they deserve a good laugh, which is exactly what my wife would do.
Jim

skier07

@PerryHall said:
I've read that mineral oil works well and it doesn't turn rancid like olive oil. Does anyone here have any experience using mineral oil?

It works quite well when Im constipated.

PerryHall

@skier07 said:

@PerryHall said:
I've read that mineral oil works well and it doesn't turn rancid like olive oil. Does anyone here have any experience using mineral oil?

It works quite well when Im constipated.

I have a pint of pure mineral oil that I bought from my grocery store. It was located in the pharmacy isle where they sell the laxatives.
Knife collectors use mineral oil to lightly coat the blades of their carbon steel knives to prevent rust.