Olive Oil Removal / Hot Peroxide Bath

[Th3 Offspring]

Hi, the dilemma i am currently facing is that i was wondering if there is a way to remove olive oil from a coin's surface so that a dip in hot peroxide will clean a coin. Last summer i found an 1833 large cent, but i was new to metal detecting and my knowledge of coin cleaning was olive oil, soap, and water. I had no idea or no intentions of using anything else because i was afraid to destroy a coin. Now that i have had some time to experiment with cleaning methods i can make a green IH penny (not caked on green, but copper that has tarnished green) turn back to a healthy circulated brown look where it looks like it was never in the ground (i may post pics of some I've done). Well, my Large Cent has a layer of olive oil on it so that makes the hot peroxide useless and i would like to further clean my LC so i was trying to figure out how to remove the olive oil. If anyone has any advice or has done this before, i would greatly like your expertise. Of course, i will not be trying any method directly on this coin, but will test on some wheaties or IHs first. The pictures don't really do the coin justice. For reference, there is no corrosion whatsoever on the coin, it's not porous, no caked on green gunk, and every detail is very well defined. The date is perfect, just has more caked on dirt. When i originally cleaned it i let it soak in olive oil for a week or so and got most of the dirt off with a toothpick, but there were some stubborn areas that i was afraid a toothpick would scratch (novice).

[Bonesquat]

Hot peroxide will ruin it! It causes pitting and makes a coin super dry looking. Please, just use olive oil. You don't need to clean that any further. It looks great. Use a soft cloth to get the oil off or let it bake outside in the sun for a bit.

[Xaquin]

That coin looks fantastic!

[Tony Two-Cent]

I agree that the coin looks fine as is, but if you are intent on removing the olive oil try liquid laundry detergent. Definitely try it on a practice coin first.

[simonthesearcher]

Its got a perfect patina,pleeeeease dont spoil it

[PhotoRob06]

That coin looks great! Anything more is gonna kill it... please don't kill it.

[boretti4blues]

leave it alone....Looks great!!

[KeyLargo]

Peroxide? Not sure where you heard that but dont ever use that on copper. Hot water is all you should use, possibly a Q-tip very lightly. Check the product line at wizard coin supply, you can also get in touch with them and they can walk you through what you should use. Most of the time cleaning a coin just hurts the value so try to be careful. The only thing I would use on that coin is hot water and olive oil but thats just me.

[Th3 Offspring]

Originally Posted by KeyLargo

Peroxide? Not sure where you heard that but dont ever use that on copper. Hot water is all you should use, possibly a Q-tip very lightly. Check the product line at wizard coin supply, you can also get in touch with them and they can walk you through what you should use. Most of the time cleaning a coin just hurts the value so try to be careful. The only thing I would use on that coin is hot water and olive oil but thats just me.

Hi, I planned on using the method this guy used http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.p...,420879.0.html. I messaged him and he gave me very precise instructions similar to my techniques. I have never experienced a coin that had a smooth surface come out of a peroxide bath pitted and i have done many indian heads, not saying it cant happen, just hasn't happened yet. The last bit of dirt on the surface is just what bothers me. If i can make that go away the coin will be flawless.

[PhotoRob06]

Originally Posted by Th3 Offspring

Hi, I planned on using the method this guy used http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.p...,420879.0.html. I messaged him and he gave me very precise instructions similar to my techniques. I have never experienced a coin that had a smooth surface come out of a peroxide bath pitted and i have done many indian heads, not saying it cant happen, just hasn't happened yet. The last bit of dirt on the surface is just what bothers me. If i can make that go away the coin will be flawless.

Peroxide doesn't cause pitting, but rather, exposes it - if it's there. Removing that last bit of dirt will expose whatever corrosion is beneath. IMO it isn't worth the risk given the amazing condition it's in. If it was real bad and you only needed to see the date, then peroxide would be a good option.

Actually, tumbling it would be much safer and will probably get that last bit of film off if it bothers you that much... Just make sure you don't tumble it with anything that will nick or dent the surface too bad. I've never tumbled anything, but some people here swear by it.

Still, if that were my coin I'd leave it as is.

[KeyLargo]

You can do an acetone soak to remove the gunk but once again if the coin is corroded under the gunk you will see it. I would never tumble any coin as they just damage the coins, yes they will be all shiney however you just add several dings and scrapes.

[Iron Patch]

You said... "Now that i have had some time to experiment with cleaning methods i can make a green IH penny (not caked on green, but copper that has tarnished green) turn back to a healthy circulated brown look where it looks like it was never in the ground"


No you can't unless the particular coin is in the condition for which it would be possible... which would be still brown with just a slight amount of corrosion. That is not the case for the large cent you posted and you can soak it as many times as you want and the only change that would happen is it would probably get darker. Anything that makes that coin brown is going to destroy it.

If you're not happy with that large cent it means you're on a mission to over-clean and kill it. That is primo condition for my ground and I only wish they could all look like that.

[Iron Patch]

Originally Posted by KeyLargo

Peroxide? Not sure where you heard that but dont ever use that on copper. Hot water is all you should use, possibly a Q-tip very lightly. Check the product line at wizard coin supply, you can also get in touch with them and they can walk you through what you should use. Most of the time cleaning a coin just hurts the value so try to be careful. The only thing I would use on that coin is hot water and olive oil but thats just me.

You're mindset/experience is obviously not for dug early copper coins.

[Iron Patch]

Originally Posted by Th3 Offspring

Hi, I planned on using the method this guy used http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.p...,420879.0.html. I messaged him and he gave me very precise instructions similar to my techniques. I have never experienced a coin that had a smooth surface come out of a peroxide bath pitted and i have done many indian heads, not saying it cant happen, just hasn't happened yet. The last bit of dirt on the surface is just what bothers me. If i can make that go away the coin will be flawless.

If those coins looked like your large cent he wouldn't have cleaned them. Even though both patina and corrosion are physically the same thing there is a big difference. His coins were very corroded and needed to be cleaned. Your large cent is more patina and looks fine as is. When a coin has a surface as good as your large cent with a color like that quite often the green spots you see will be hard as rock and the peroxide won't remove it.

PS: I was very involved in that cache post. Quite an amazing find and clearly rejects the thought of never cleaning coins. The Machin's Mills is a very rare coin and worth a few bucks, and one of the Fugio Cents even better. Cleaning literally added hundreds of dollars to the value. (just on the Fugio I mean) Probably at least a grand in the difference looking at the before and after for the 6.

[WVDirtfisher]

i would leave the coin be! It looks good the way it is!!

[dogpound]

olive oil works if ya wanna soak it for about 50 yrs i use the boiling peroxide bath and sometimes thats the only way i can even get a readable date off them. i wish i could find a LC in the condition you have pictured, our soil just eats old coppers

[Th3 Offspring]

Originally Posted by PhotoRob06

Actually, tumbling it would be much safer and will probably get that last bit of film off if it bothers you that much... Just make sure you don't tumble it with anything that will nick or dent the surface too bad. I've never tumbled anything, but some people here swear by it.

i would throw it away before i would ever tumble it. tumbling coins only destroys them whereas i'm not looking to destroy, i'm looking to "restore".

[PhotoRob06]

Originally Posted by Th3 Offspring

i would throw it away before i would ever tumble it. tumbling coins only destroys them whereas i'm not looking to destroy, i'm looking to "restore".

"Restoring" coins is impossible. What's gone or corroded is just that. You want it to look like a coin that was never burried, but it was. If you want coins that look like they haven't been burried, you're better off buying them. I wouldn't tumble it either... or do anything to it.