✅ SOLVED Verdigris... Real or Applied?

[diggummup]

I have this letter opener that I found at an estate sale. It has the profile of Napoleon depicted on one side and the words Bonaparte General en Chef. The other side has him on horseback at the battle of the Pyramids with the date 25 Juliet 1798 on it. You cnan see plenty of verdigris on it. Does this look real or do you think it was applied to make it look older than it is? I mean it is only a letter opener. This was found with the dip pen that I posted on here looking for info about (to no avail)- http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/361107-trying-id-fountain-dip-pen.html

Here are the pics-

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

The "verdigris" (also called patina, or oxidation) on your letter-opener is artificial, created by an acidic/caustic chemical. We longtime relic-dealers are quite familiar with faked patina, because so many people try to "artifically age" brass Reproduction relics. Any time you see the bright turquoise-blue/green color, it is fake patina. We dealers call it "Comet-Patina," because Comet Cleanser is well-known to create that color of patina on brass and copper.

I should mention that sometimes the "false" patina happens accidentally, without intent to deceive. Copper/brass rivets on old leather objects can be affected by the chemicals which were used to "tan" the leather. For example, I seen rivets and finials on civil war leather cartridge boxes which show the same bright turquoise-blue/green patina we see on your letter opener. It may have been stored for many years in a leather case.

 

[Iron Patch]

Yep, that's a pretty ugly and suspect color on a non dug relic.

 

[diggummup]

Thanks Cannonball. I thought it looked pretty bright compared to the bronze ship's spike, which is a dug relic (I forgot to mention that). Just thought maybe because one is bronze and the other is brass maybe different tinted verdigris. But I guess not. Coming from you, I will trust your answer.