Can a copper coin be soaked in baby oil or water for a night?

pcgs69

Will pick up some mineral oil tomorrow, but I need something tonight. Would baby oil or water be good for a night?

Robb

Water is your enemy. I don't believe baby oil will do much of anything for you and if it will, not likely to be an overnight soak.

NumisOxide

I would just wait and soak it in mineral oil.

illini420

baby oil has fragrance added to it. I'm guessing that chemical could cause more damage to your coin than waiting another 12-16 hours or so until you buy mineral oil.

LotsoLuck

Wait for the mineral oil. This type of soaking typically will take months before results will occur. No rush.

pcgs69

Understandable... but I just pulled it out of the ground... and don't want it to start flaking. Sort of like when you see the treasure hunters pull stuff out of the ocean... they need to keep it wet. I think I need to keep some sort of moisture on it. Thanks for the info everyone!

AskRaq

Distilled water...? Acetone?

PonyExpress8

I have had some success with olive oil but it takes several weeks. Good luck.

GrumpyEd

I'd think if it's been in the dirt and elements for a long time even water would be fine until you get mineral oil.

What's the new find?

rbf

<< <i>Understandable... but I just pulled it out of the ground... and don't want it to start flaking. Sort of like when you see the treasure hunters pull stuff out of the ocean... they need to keep it wet. I think I need to keep some sort of moisture on it. Thanks for the info everyone! >>


I'm no expert on this, but I suppose you could temporarily re-bury the item in moist dirt (yard, flower pot, etc.) As long as the acidity level of the soil is similar to that of the ground it was extracted from, I think it would be okay.

TwoSides2aCoin

Corrosion starts and never stops. Metal suffers from an etched disease called "time & mother nature" .
Oil is a lubricant. It prevents corrosion and rust and won't typically hurt metal.
For coin problems, see a professional coin doctor. That wouldn't be me. I used vegetable oil

oreville

olive oil for the one night would be best.

after getting the mineral oil make sure you rinse the mineral oil several times to eliminate the olive oil residue.