Questions on using Blue Ribbon

1jester

I've heard of this coin conditioner, and I'd like to ask your advice or instructions for usage. When do you use it? On what? What kinds of metals is it good for? What does it do? I've heard that it's used on copper as a conditioner, whatever that means. Does it help clean a coin? Remove contaminants? Protect a coin? From what? Some say it's necessary to help preserve a coin from air. Is this true? What would happen if you don't do this? Would a coin become corroded without this protection? Should I use it after acetone? If so, on what metals, or in what instances? Will it hide verdigris? Will it remove verdigris?

Please give me the low-down on this wonder product. Thank you.

historygeek

It helps remove gunk from the coin, but if you rub too hard some toning will come off. Basically it is like "acetone with oil" (Please do not mix acetone with oil) it cleans organics off coins and leaves a film of oil on the coin, thus protecting it.

1jester

Sounds useful. Thanks HG!

MacCrimmon

1,1,1-TCE & Usages

Blue Ribbon contains 1,1,1-TCE and oil. It doesn't say what type of oil....secret formula? The EAC people paniced when it became temporarily unavailable. I'll check on the pros preferred grades levels for usage, but yes, it's a cleaner degreaser.

Sometime used to clean bad gunk off of the coin's metal surfaces. The 1,1,1-TCE evaporates which leaves the thin layer of oil behind as a corrosive inhibitor.

more later......

historygeek

Sarcastic comments removed

wybrit

TCE is very nasty stuff. "Trichlor" as it is known is some circles was banned from the place I worked at in Colorado years ago. As I recall, it is considered a ozone depleting substance as well.

My attitude about preserving coins is - put 'em in airtites. I would avoid using stuff like Blue Ribbon.

Aethelred

If you need to get gunk off a coin Jester just use a little lighter fluid and a q-tip.

(edited because Wybrit and Jester have the same icon and I no longer know who's who)

1jester

Thanks for the advice, folks.

Wybrit, in general I completely agree with you. The problem comes when you're a bottom-feeder like me and pick up, from time to time, a coin that hasn't been cared for, and has some issues such as verdigris, or perhaps other corrosion. I'm talking about stuff that might prove even more harmful to the coin if left on it. So this is a matter of conservation of some bad cases.

Aethelred, I'm a tad averse to using q-tips on coins since they tend to leave micro scratches if you so much as apply a teeny bit of pressure upon application. I avoid q-tips altogether.

MacCrimmon

Here is the response to my query directly to Tom Reynolds concerning usage of BR.



<< <i>I only use Blue Ribbon on copper coins. It will remove loose surface dirt but will not remove impacted dirt in the devices or corrosion. I apply it very lightly 1-2 times per year. It provides a barrier to protect the coin. A coin would become corroded only if exposed to a very humid environment. It is especially important if xylene or acetone are used on the coin, as these strip the natural patina that forms. I use it on ALL cooper coins, regardless of the grade. >>



By very lightly, he means very lightly, that is; dip a q-tip into the bottle and lightly press maybe three drops onto the coins surface and then use the special brushes I have mentioned in the past. The q-tip will not harm the coin nor will these exact brushes I have mentioned.

I have heard that the solvents leave the coins "dry", and hence the use of a super thin coat of BR to prevent any potential corrosion.

If you live in a super dry climate, you would probably never have to use the BR as a 'barrier' material.

To sum up, the BR will clean light surface dirt/dust, provide a corrosion barrier and will not affect the true color of the copper. It should only be applied using the soft jewelers brush I mentioned.

BR will not remove/dissolve the green of black corrosion......at least not to any worthwhile degree, but it will remove those inactive contaminants on the copper surface which you can't quite "see" now......how do I know? The brushes' hairs will turn green with much use.

Hope this helps.

1jester

That's a very informative post, MacMouse. Thank you.

So I can assume it doesn't leave the coin looking "oily"? And I can further presume that BR is strongly recommended on copper coins that have been treated with acetone.

It apparantly doesn't help remove verdigris? What if you were to soak the coin in BR for a period--would it help remove verdigris? Or should we follow MSD61's example and use MS70 on the copper coin to remove verdigris, and then oil the coin, perhaps with BR?

MacCrimmon

I recently removed some 'green nasties' from a British copper (nice gEF), but it was done soaking it in xylene. About 20-30 q-tips at the rims and cotton puffs (lightly blotting) were turned completely green and black, and the active green is no more. The harder black verdigris/corrosion areas were helped somewhat but obviously not completely.

Regarding an actual experience about 6 years ago when I "thought" the TPGs knew what they were doing..... I bought a nice 1828N11 matron cent in an NGC58 slab which was so pretty I broke it out..... The copper guys said the color was wrong and they thought that MS70 might have been used on it. Needless to say, the coin was really only a net40-45 coin. Good lesson learned at the School of HardKnocks. In that case the coin was just not right; not acid dipped but too different especially considering the wear present.

So, my take is it's OK to use the MS70 on a coin which is only VF30 or so for sharpness, but try xylene first for the tough problems, then a micro-coat of BR to ward off moisture. It's really best to keep these coins in the cotton pouches also as they can absorb any overzealous applications of BR, although you can always do a xylene or acetone dunk to remove the BR and recoat with much less....it's a trial and error experience on how much is too much.