Do you think this black stuff will come off? * UPDATE *
Meltdown
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I took a chance on this little piece for my type set today. It has decent AU surfaces but some distracting "gunk" on the reverse. I've got it soaking in acetone currently and will take a look at it tomorrow.
There's a hint of green tucked in the obverse hair as well. I think that's more troubling than the reverse possibly.
What do you all think? I'm hopeful for some positive before & after photos...
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Meh, for better or worse, here's the results after a 24 hour soak. I can live with this much better than the obvious crud from before. The obverse green blew right off on the obverse, so that was nice.
I could probably get it a little bit better but it was never my intention to "clean" this coin. I'm not trying to play doctor and would kick the crap out of myself if I made it look unnatural. I think it will look just fine in an album page.
Comments
Been there done that. Leave it alone. Everything else is Fabulous! Its the way it is. Nothing is perfect.
Are you concerned it will make a "clean spot" ?
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Are you going to have it graded, or is it for like a 7070?
Because my dirty girl had the same schmutz on her and I sent her in like that.
--Severian the Lame
It's for the dansco type set... assuming I can find a gold page someday, I still need one.
What did yours grade?
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The black gunk should come off with the acetone....use a green rose thorn to help if stubborn. The green may come off easily as well.... looks mild and should not leave a trace. The gold under the black might look a bit different...Show us the after pictures...Helps others to evaluate issues. Cheers, RickO
Someone else's problem is now your problem. Removal of that kind of gunk often leaves the owner with an unpleasant surprise. It is best to just avoid such coins. If it bothers you, return it if you can. If you can't return it just sell it as is and move on to a problem free coin
I wouldn't try removing the gunk.
I bet it will come off and look fine underneath......we'll see?
bob
NUTS! The black stuff is very unattractive and will come right off.
DO NOT PUT ANY CHEMICAL ON THE COIN except water or you'll remove ALL of the skin. This material comes off without any harm to the coin. OVERKILL DEPT: Ideally, it is "picked-off" with a special shaped wood tool using moisture and a stereo microscope. Some jewelers use a machine that would steam it off.
Your coin is not the same and would require a different approach.
BTW Many folks just dip these coins for a few seconds (without the bother of conservation) and they'll pass most collectors.
I use the belt sander. Gives it a nice matte proof finish at the same time.
I appreciate the sound advice and will give the sander a go if no luck with the acetone.
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Be sure and use a fine grit or it won't be properly shined when you're done.
If there is any concern about provenance, might want to think about not removing the mark. I had a coin "conserved" because the copper marks bothered me. The coin could be tracked back in auction catalogs to the "Memorable Sale" through the identifying marks. Now it cannot and the "proof" has been removed. Made a mistake before I knew better.
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Similar crude on copper coin. Same method is used to remove it w/o chemicals:
The professionals at the PCGS Conservation Service can help. You need to decide if it is worth the cost as the gunk will not hurt your coin. You could also try your hand at fixing it yourself. Many collectors have learned to make their coins more attractive w/o harming them.
PS I left the rest of the dirt on the coin - for now. With copper and silver, the debris will protect the surface from toning OR in the worse case etch it.
You should see a lighter patch where the dirt clump was.
Well, it's done. I'm not sure how I feel about the up close photos. It looks very nice otherwise
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Please let us know how you did it.
So it looks like it pitted the surface a bit?
Looks better!
I'd take the rest off that is all over the reverse.
Much improved... was it just an acetone soak? Or did you 'help' it a bit with some soft 'tool'? Cheers, RickO
Just acetone for nearly a full day, then the soft side of a rose thorn to remove the gunk. It would probably get a little "cleaner" but I was having trouble holding the coin still and seeing exactly where to remove the small stuff. These little gold pieces are tiny.
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@Meltdown ....Thank you for the response....I thought acetone would do the job...and a little assistance for the heavy stuff....Looks real good now....Well done. Cheers, RickO
I agree... the green stuff on the obverse was more distracting. The acetone definitely seemed to help. I like it!
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Certainly looks better, I would give it another day in a fresh bath as there seems to be a slight touch of green still on the obv.
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I have a coin with a similar problem. So I took Ricko's advise. Unfortunately, I didn't have any green rose thorns laying around the house so I went to Home Depot to snag a few. The lady in the flower department called security. Thankfully they let me off easy after I agreed to buy the whole plant.
A toothpick also works quite well.
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Insider2....I also blame you for my recent run in with the law. I was going to leave it alone but your advise is usually pretty solid. However, in my particular case....thanks for nothing!
Should have thought of that. Wish you would have posted this before I left the house. I need a box of drywall nails now. Just can't bring myself to go back to Home Depot. I feel like everybody will be watching me. Why did I do it?
Bravo
Looks nice.
Make sure to trim it You want three different points: sharp pointed (rose thorn); flat chisel; and angular chisel.
BTW, it you are not careful, even a rose thorn can push a tiny piece of grit enough to leave a hairline on a copper coin.
@Meltdown
Thanks for the update and with the before and after pics.