Cleaning Question

Silver_Seeker · Feb 15, 2017

So I got my first (half) Reale the other day :shock:

Now I've dug plenty of beach silver and it's all been common stuff, Merc's, Roosies, Washington's for the most part. They are all black of course and I just clean them with baking soda because I want them to look like silver, no biggie.

But now I've got this little bucket list, been dreaming of for over 20 years, coin.

I want to clean it...a bit. But I'd rather leave it black than ruin it. I'm thinking olive oil bath.

There has to be someone out there who has successfully cleaned a very old beach silver without destroying it, what did you do? Got pics?

highball · Feb 15, 2017

Cant help you on cleaning, but congrats on the find!

metaladdict · Feb 15, 2017

I couldn't clean my 1899 half or any other really black silver much.

metaladdict · Feb 15, 2017

If you don't care much about selling the coin toothbrush and toothpaste works somewhat.
If you really don't care you can electrolysis it. :shock:

Cfmct · Feb 15, 2017

Looks like it has changed to silver oxide... I wouldn't do much to it... when they are that far gone they are brittle..

Joshc214 · Feb 15, 2017

And if you really really don't care you can toss it in some CLR :lol:

works great on crusty pennies

Personally, I'd never clean it... too much risk involved. Also, the patina adds character to it imo

Silver_Seeker · Feb 15, 2017

metaladdict said:
If you don't care much about selling the coin toothbrush and toothpaste works somewhat.
If you really don't care you can electrolysis it.

I've no interest in selling it. It would probably not get $20 if it were $2000 I still wouldn't sell it; I've been digging for 22 years waiting to get one. It will get passed on to my son some day.

Toothpaste huh? Got any before & after shots? Maybe I'll try it on the next blackened Merc I dig to see how it goes.

Jim53 · Feb 15, 2017

Great Find!!!
IMO I would not touch it. I have found lots of silver and cleaned a lot of it until I was looking at the cleaned silver and a hand full of change in my pocket, they were the same.. all shiny. when I look at the black silver it brings back memories of what it looked like when I found it.

Jim53 · Feb 15, 2017

Best of both worlds have one to show and one that you dont want to damage.

Silver_Seeker · Feb 16, 2017

Jim53 said:
Best of both worlds have one to show and one that you dont want to damage.

Not a bad idea!

At this point I think I'll wait until I dig a few more crusty, beach silvers and experiment with olive oil and other less invasive cleaning techniques before deciding what if anything to do with this Reale.

Thanks for looking and giving your two cents everybody.

dewcon · Feb 16, 2017

Dont use elec..... it will pit it if you go to long. Try the foil baking soda and hot salt waterl trick. Bar keeper friend works as well. I wouldnt tumble it either it will loose defination since silver is a soft metal.

Dew

Captain Silver · Feb 16, 2017

That one piece of oxide on the front will flake off with a toothpick...other than removing that, I'd leave it alone.

Numil · Feb 18, 2017

dewcon said:
Dont use elec..... it will pit it if you go to long. Try the foil baking soda and hot salt waterl trick. Bar keeper friend works as well. I wouldnt tumble it either it will loose defination since silver is a soft metal.

Dew

Gotta agree completely with Dew. Congrats an a great find

Cleaning Question

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