Need advice on cleaning a silver coin

Ashigaru

New Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2017
Messages
9
Location
Japan
Hello all,

I found this 50 sen silver coin near my house here in Japan a few days ago.
I live next to a mountain, and located this piece where a house once stood.

Now, please understand that I did google plenty, but I didn't find a solution for cleaning this coin.

It has a dark, blackish crust that is extremely hard. Rough spots mixed with what feels like grains of sand litter almost the entire coin. I tried to freeze it in water a couple of times and a few pieces came of revealing an unharmed coin underneath. That is no longer effective.

Soft toothbrush and toothpicks does absolutely nothing.

What's behind this "crust"? minerals?
Is it possible to clean it?

I just started detecting so even the most basic advice and/or explanations are welcome!



Anders
 

Attachments

  • 50 sen silver.jpg
    50 sen silver.jpg
    112.7 KB · Views: 307
Looks like your coin has possibly been in a fire? I have dug some silver coins before that have come from a burned dump and they looked just like your pic. A lot of times the condition is not that good but if it's silver you still have value!
 
Looks like your coin has possibly been in a fire? I have dug some silver coins before that have come from a burned dump and they looked just like your pic. A lot of times the condition is not that good but if it's silver you still have value!

That's interesting. That could very well be it. It really seems to be okay under that crust, but getting it off seems to be a science of its own.

Is that your first silver coin?
If so...CongratZ, and sorry.

Electrolysis might be your only hope, if chemicals don't work.

That's something I will have to try in the future. If I get free time I'm way more likely to go hunting some more.

Thank you all for your input!
 
Back
Top Bottom