"Uncleaning" a coin?

treasureID

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2012
Messages
453
I need to learn to leave stuff alone. I recently found a CT copper. The faint image on the coin was really only obvious (but barely) thanks to the caked on dirt. Well... I stupidly cleaned that dirt off (just soap and water) and now all I have is a boring brown disk. The actual details are still there... they're just not so obvious. Ok, now don't laugh... Is there anyway to enhance those details by re-dirtying it up somehow? I tried rubbing the coin with the the dull side of aluminum foil, it helps, but it's nowhere near as good as how the dirt was doing it. Are there any other methods?
 
Yeah, it's possible the only real option is to bury it in the yard for a few hundred years... but I'm looking for a quicker alternative!
 
your done dude. Costly leason? Maybe next time do a little electrolysis on it instead of rubbing it.
 
your done dude. Costly leason? Maybe next time do a little electrolysis on it instead of rubbing it.

Costly lesson? The coin is worth no more than it's weight in copper in the condition it's in anyway. Besides, there is no loss of detail or dimension on the coin... There is just no more dirt on it. In any event, I have nothing to lose so I'll be doing all sorts of different tests. If in the end, nothing can be done, it's no big deal.
 
Try using some black permanent marker if you don't care about color but detail.I use it to see if i can tell if some toasted pennies are wheats or not sometimes.May also be able to soak it in some melted parrafin to get some detail.Coin isn't worth much anyways.So give it a try.
 
If you really feel like playing the lottery, then read this: http://sfprime.net/pcb-etching/index.htm

I did this on electronics boards 20 years ago, and it will allow you to take off a bit of copper.

Use a fine permanent marker, to brush up the details you like to keep, and then let the solution etch the background just a bit.

The area where the permanent marker is applied will not be etched.

Do the work under a microscope/jewelers loupe, and you might make the details more visible.

This is faster than what mother earth can do in a hundred years! - Much faster!

Be carefull, this is strong stuff, but you can buy the chemicals in an electronic hobby store.

Dont walk away from this while it is doing it's stuff, pick up the coin every few minutes, and retrace the coin as needed.

Don't forget the edge of the coin if you don't want to make the coin smaller....

Experiment with another coin, to see if it does what you want!

This is probably the closest you will ever get to real magic - forget the coin in the solution, and it will be gone when you wake up!

Remove the ink from the permanent marker, when you are done, and rinse it. Apply just a bit of waterless vaseline to thecoin, and wipe it off (konservation)

GL

/Steffen
 
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Thanks for the suggest. It sounds a little scary, haha, but could be something to play around with... even if I just mess around with a new penny or something!

If you really feel like playing the lottery, then read this: http://sfprime.net/pcb-etching/index.htm

I did this on electronics boards 20 years ago, and it will allow you to take off a bit of copper.

Use a fine permanent marker, to brush up the details you like to keep, and then let the solution etch the background just a bit.

The area where the permanent marker is applied will not be etched.

Do the work under a microscope/jewelers loupe, and you might make the details more visible.

This is faster than what mother earth can do in a hundred years! - Much faster!

Be carefull, this is strong stuff, but you can buy the chemicals in an electronic hobby store.

Dont walk away from this while it is doing it's stuff, pick up the coin every few minutes, and retrace the coin as needed.

Don't forget the edge of the coin if you don't want to make the coin smaller....

Experiment with another coin, to see if it does what you want!

This is probably the closest you will ever get to real magic - forget the coin in the solution, and it will be gone when you wake up!

Remove the ink from the permanent marker, when you are done, and rinse it. Apply just a bit of waterless vaseline to thecoin, and wipe it off (konservation)

GL

/Steffen
 
Nooooooo!!!

DO NOT use permanent marker...Get a #2 graphite pencil and a good pink gummy eraser...run the pencil all over the coin, then hit it with the eraser...This tends to brighten up wheaties, and might bring out some detail on your Copper...I do this on wheats I cannot read the dates on.

HH,
 
ive run into this before...ihave dug and cleaned many large coppers and when you start cleaning them you will lose that detail that you saw at the beginning, thats because its still caked with dirt...what you need to do now is complete the proocess by cooking it in boiling peroxide...put your peroxide in the microwave untill it boils then put your coin in it...take the coin out clean it then repeat untill you get to the copper..
 
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