Found first Indian Head ... proceeded to ruin first Indian Head.

[BucksCoHistory]

I am the most saddest person who ever lived.

Never even having found a wheatie, I skipped forward yesterday and dug up my very first Indian Head! (I know it's not much look at, but I was so thrilled.)



Then I ruined it with electrolysis.

[351maverick]

sometimes an education comes with a price

you'll know for next time!

[MrJeep]

Congrats on your first Indian! At least you didn't fry a high dollar coin.

[blk86trbo]

Ahhhh...that's really unfortunate, sorry to hear that it turned out this way. Next time research using olive oil. I'm told that it will help loosen the crud and not harm the coin.

I would keep this Indian in my pocket as a "good luck" coin and continually rub it between my fingers. That might clean it up somewhat with time.

Paul

[BucksCoHistory]

Yeah ... I still feel like an idiot though. Oh well ... guess I'll have to go find another one!

[titan_demon]

nice find! but sorry about the bad luck

[bruinvikes]

That's unfortunate! But you found a coin that some, including me, have't found yet so congrats on that! Go out there and find another one and as previously stated, soak it in olive oil for a while to loosen the crud. Good luck!

[bigstemz]

Ive ruined a few coins to. Doing tests. With most coins almost all the time you don't want to do to much cleaning to them, especially electrolysis. With coppers the most I usually do is heat up peroxide to boiling and emerge the coin for one minute on either side. That usually will weaken or remove that green crud on coins. Then sometimes I use a mix of baking soda and water to clean the coin with. Just make a thick past apply and rub with finger. Note on large coppers such as large cents I only recommend cleaning lightly with water and a fine tooth brush or cotton swab.
Keep electrolysis for iron and very heavily encrusted silvers which are impossible to clean with other methods

Hope this helps
HH

[BucksCoHistory]

Thanks, stemz. Good advice.

[bigstemz]

When learning to clean large coppers I ruined a 1790 bust copper that had great detail by using peroxide to clean it. A sad day for me, but I learned that old coppers are super delicate and to do very little cleaning. If you found that Indian from your old farm dump site there will deff be more. That site you have looks amazing and a ton of fun.

Best wishes

[dglantz]

Congrats on the find. Indians are hard to come by around here for some reason. I tend to find more large cents than Indian Heads. If you get another green Indian, or wheat penny or even large cent try heating up some peroxide and then drop the coin in it. It really does a great job getting the green corrosion off without damaging the coin. Electrolysis works great on silver coins with gunk but it chews up copper coins.

[BucksCoHistory]

Originally Posted by bigstemz

If you found that Indian from your old farm dump site there will deff be more. That site you have looks amazing and a ton of fun.

It's actually from the front yard of the schoolhouse where my historical society has its headquarters. Hopefully there are more there, too!

Originally Posted by dglantz

If you get another green Indian, or wheat penny or even large cent try heating up some peroxide and then drop the coin in it. It really does a great job getting the green corrosion off without damaging the coin. Electrolysis works great on silver coins with gunk but it chews up copper coins.

Ha, good to know! Jeez, I sure did learn my lesson.

... is there any way I can, y'know ... repair it?

[bigstemz]

To fix it, get a small fine point sharpie and make a fine attempt to draw an Indian back onto the coin face, or just draw a smiley face

[NHKeith]

I have had some luck with hot peroxide bath. but you got to be careful you don't leave it in to long.

the best method. let it soak in olive oil for a few weeks.

soap and hot water...

I ruined my first IH also. It turned into a copper disk with a little green left on it.

[NHKeith]

what year was it? 1889? i see 188? I think..

[(COINSTRUCK)]

It's one more Indian than I have found

[BucksCoHistory]

Originally Posted by NHKeith

what year was it? 1889? i see 188? I think..

1889. Ugh, I can't believe I ruined it!

Originally Posted by (COINSTRUCK)

It's one more Indian than I have found

But you're the Coin Junky! I'm never gonna find another one! *storms off ranting*

[lawsonland]

Sorry for what happened, Try different ways of cleaning it now to see if you can improve it.
Maybe you can get the outlines back

[Bell-Two]

There will be more so do not fret, we have all done something similar it is a part of learning. I generally do a light brushing with a soft toothbrush and then dishwashing soap and water. After I give it a olive oil treatment and softly rub oil in with my fingers. There are some coppers that are so corroded that it is best to almost nothing at all. I do not use peroxide on Indians but will on some tokens and wheaties but even then just a short bath and a quick rinse.

[Turbomunkey]

How did the electrolysis ruin it? Was it left for too long?

I just made a rig a few days ago and its been delicate with the coins I used it on. Granted all clad no earlier than 1960