Need help on roman coin cleaning. (pics included)

[sasnz]

Hi everyone

Need help with this coin, I am not a ancient coin specialist but know that the easiest way to clean is through electrosis. question is the buildup on this coin is about the same width as the coin and is damn hard, will this destroy the coins integrity?? the coin has been soaking for a good year and a half in olive oil with about 300 others, unfortunately this one is is probably the heaviest soiled, I thought that this may be gold to start with but it does have a pinkish tone. Did they make copper coins back then any help appreciated.

Sasnz

 

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[cwdigger]

Hi everyone

Need help with this coin, I am not a ancient coin specialist but know that the easiest way to clean is through electrosis. question is the buildup on this coin is about the same width as the coin and is damn hard, will this destroy the coins integrity?? the coin has been soaking for a good year and a half in olive oil with about 300 others, unfortunately this one is is probably the heaviest soiled, I thought that this may be gold to start with but it does have a pinkish tone. Did they make copper coins back then any help appreciated.

Sasnz

These are the pics that i was telling you about in the PM

 

[Oraitbertaig]

Hello,
Most roman coins are bronze/copper. I think electrolisis is the only way to go , try it for 30 seconds, rinse thoroughly and use a brass wire brush. Repeat if ness.
Hope this he;ps

 

[urbss]

There are two other things that you could try that I just read about in "Lost Treasure" magazine a couple months ago.

The first is to soak the coin in distilled water for a couple hours (so the water really absorbs into the gunk) then put it in the freezer overnight. When the water in the buildup on the coin contracts - it will pull away from the coin. This process will usually have to be done mulitple times. I tried this on a token that I found and some of the buildup will come off without even having to touch the object (nothing abrassive about that!!)

The other is to put the coin on wax paper and then coat it good with Elmers glue. Once the glue is completely dried pull it away from the coin and some of the buildup will come off with the glue. I have not tried this method yet.

Supposedly neither method will harm the coin, but both methods will require multiple applications.

Urbs

 

[Gunner]

There are two other things that you could try that I just read about in "Lost Treasure" magazine a couple months ago.

The first is to soak the coin in distilled water for a couple hours (so the water really absorbs into the gunk) then put it in the freezer overnight. When the water in the buildup on the coin contracts - it will pull away from the coin. This process will usually have to be done mulitple times. I tried this on a token that I found and some of the buildup will come off without even having to touch the object (nothing abrassive about that!!)

The other is to put the coin on wax paper and then coat it good with Elmers glue. Once the glue is completely dried pull it away from the coin and some of the buildup will come off with the glue. I have not tried this method yet.

Supposedly neither method will harm the coin, but both methods will require multiple applications.

Urbs

Interesting concept on the freezing of the DI water. One thing that would concern me with that method is the general porosity that is present in many ancient coins. Water is the only element that expands when frozen. I would be worried the freezing water in the pores of the coin would cause brittle fracture. Interesting nonetheless. Maybe I'll experiment on an ancient "cull".

I usually use DI water and change it out every couple days (room temperature).

Olive oil also is known to work but takes longer to loosen up the dirt.

P.S. your coin looks to be a 1st century large bronze (as). I would guess it is an As of Claudius but am not sure. It looks like the coin is pretty well spent. This example I would give a "lye bath" since it is already pretty far gone. Lye baths are the most extreme of cleaning methods (but they work in a matter of hours). Be careful though! Lye and human flesh don't mix very well.....fair warning .

Gunner