Removing Copper Carbonate from Copper Coins

IronmanDuke

Last week I asked for help with what I first thought was PVC gunk but was finally diagnosed as copper carbonate.

It killed me to see the coin in such poor shape, and since
- I don't plan on ever selling these
- have a lot of other circulated IHC

I decided to see how they looked if I I removed the damage.

Here's the before




and after



I may try to darken the surfaces to an even tone.

Then I'll take some fuzzy pictures and sell them as MS66s on e-bay.



(Just kidding)

StrikeOutXXX

You had a few different suggestions to clean that up in your other thread. Just out of curiosity, which one(s) did you end up trying?

Thanks




Edited because I can't spell.

morgannut2

That's the color in nature of CuCO3 also--it's called malicite and it's put into solution in industry with dilute HCl (found at most drugstores as 10 M %). The discoloration unfortunately represents lost Cu. Did the glass container it was in contain carbonated soda at one point? Looks bette at least!!