Indian Cents attacked by Green Crud! Can they be saved?

xbob

We found these in a small leather change pouch in a box of old family stuff. The leather must have held moisture making for a nice corrosive environment. Any advice for the best way to clean these with the least destruction to the coins? It appears to be common stuff no better than Good, but I'd still like to conserve them if possible.


Leather would not make good flips!

K6AZ

The "green crud" is verdigris. You're not going to like what you see if you remove it.

Prethen

Generally, no. Those look like they're all truly corroded. You might be able to clean off some or all of the top corrosion, but you'll be left with an even crudier looking coin on the surface. Some of the experts on here might be able to tell you of a way to make them appear a bit better without totally ruining them. Personally, I'd experiment with a number of things, like a long soak in olive oil and a q-tip, but that will just help remove some of the top greenish stuff off.

BillJones

Mostly they are dead.

You have a choice. You can leave the green crud. You can turn green crud into black crud with chemicals like arsenic. Or you can holes in the surface where the green crud was.

The choices are not very appealing.

xbob

I'll try the olive oil. Even removing the loose top layer would allow me to handle them without getting green dust all over. They're a mess!

Thank goodness none of them are valuable.

Prethen

Let them soak in olive oil for at least a couple of weeks or so. In this case, I wouldn't hesitate to be a little harsh with cotton swaps. Rinse them off and dry with paper towels. Normally, you'd pat them dry...in this case....rub like heck!

mirabela

Wait, isn't that 1902 the S-1716a, "curved 2" variety, R7? Too bad it's all bunged up...

J/K

xbob

<< <i>Wait, isn't that 1902 the S-1716a, "curved 2" variety, R7? Too bad it's all bunged up...

J/K >>



No teasing allowed!!

I'll do a follow up post after a month or so of soaking to show how they come out. Perhaps there is a variety hiding in there somewhere. I'm not sure there will be enough left to identify though.