Next to impossible

[alex12]

What is this coin!?

Hi, I found this coin I soaked it in distilled water and not much happened. So I barely touched it with a toothbrush and feel like it started falling apart, much less legible instead of cleaner. I think the back is a wreath with U.S. written inside it possibly SO or 50 written below the U.S. but the flip side looks like a design without a face to it. It does has some letters but I can not tell what the heck it says. Please help, it’s driving me nuts. If it helps I found it with other coins. Ones a slick flowing hair cent the other 2 are 1830 and 1831 cents. Two more remain to be cleaned, I haven’t touched them but they are caked with mud. The pictures rotated when posted btw so they are sideways until you enlarge them.
Thanks for looking, Alex
View attachment 1767694View attachment 1767695View attachment 1767696View attachment 1767697

 

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[smokeythecat]

Don't wet your coins. Use a bunch of wood toothpicks or get some of the Andre's pencils, they are a sponsor here. I have ruined quite a few coins with water. The manual approach is absolutely the best way to clean a coin.

 

[invent4hir]

Alex, please provide a size reference (i.e. another coin or ruler).

 

[alex12]

Coin

Thank you for responding, It is 1 and 1/16 inches in diameter, definitely can see it better in these photos, the back almost looks like a nova constellatio, but the other side does not

 

[paleomaxx]

It's a Bouquet Sou Canadian bank token. There are quite a few varieties and it may be difficult to nail down a specific die in the condition it's in, but here's a close one for comparison:



They date from 1835 to 1838.

 

[nkellam22]

Nice I'D paleomazz

 

[azdirtdigger]

Not to hijack the thread, but how does water ruin a coin? Just hadn't heard that before and was curious.

 

[ivan salis]

if a coin is in pourous condtion

 

[nkellam22]

Water only hurts copper or copper alloy coins. Water is recommended for silver and gold coins as you don't want to scratch them through rubbing them.
But it will generally hurt copper coins as it can remove detail and patina.

 

[alex12]

Thanks, paleomaxx for the id, you nailed it.

 

[CRUSADER]

Not to hijack the thread, but how does water ruin a coin? Just hadn't heard that before and was curious.

The chemicals in tap water damages the patination. Distilled water is better, however, I'm not that bothered & use warm soapy water all the time.