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Dan, about your mystery coin, have you ever tried electrolysis?

A

Anonymous

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...the jury is still out on this as if overdone it can cause pitting and more harm than good, but...
...It's really easy to rig up and I have had good luck bringing out detail on completely crusted coins with a series of gentle baths in a weak solution of salt or baking soda.
 
I have used electrolysis many times on iron relics and brass objects with mostly good results.This piece is so far gone-already deeply pitted and corroded-I hesitate to do it.I have a brother who works in a crime lab and has access to some heavy-duty magnifying equipment etc.,he is going to take a look at it for me.I will let you know what I find out.
 
...it turned out great. Without electrolysis it would still be an unrecognizable corroded disk in the junk jar. <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":)">
 
Steve, your process must be much better than mine cuz I can eat up a copper like that in a minute. This the first winter I have played using electrolysis and my results are decent for iron, cleaning coins ain't workin out.
 
many other small items, rings, etc is a brass polisher.
They are fulled with media, I use corncob or walnut media and toss in the find. A day or two later they shine like new. Now there are certainly limits to the magic they can do but I have had great luck with it.
 
...if you've got rapid boiling, you're gonna have damage. This is controled by the amount of salt in the water. Also do it in stages, a couple minutes, take it out and brush off the black residue that forms with a toothbrush. Repeat until you've got it close to where you want it. I'll also rotate the position of the coin, front and back, top and bottom in relation to the stainless steel spoon (anode) to get an even process. I watch the shine on the highlights develope and try to quit one step too little instead one step too much -- a judgement call.
Done like this, the electrolysis will eat the corrosion before it eats the copper and fresh etching of the surface will be minimal. Of course if there is deep pitting, it is going to leave holes, and if the detail has been corroded away, then there will not be much left to look at...
When I am finished, I'll take back any shine by rubbing it with a little bit of coin darkener, which is a sulfur based oil and will turn the coin a chocolately brown and give it an aged look again.
I've heard over and over again NOT to clean coins, and if I find something I think is special, I'll drop down to the local coin shop before doing anything. As well, electrolysis will completely destroy a nice green patina, and I would rather have a little corrosion than disturb this natural finish.
But for the caked and crusty ones... the coins I have are for my own collection and they show a lot better if you can see what they are instead of being just crusty unidentified green disks. <img src="/metal/html/shrug.gif" border=0 width=37 height=15 alt=":shrug">
 
The secret is in the slow bubbles but that is controled by the current density at the active site on the coin and not by the electrolyte(salt).If you have enough of it to conduct electricity you're good to go.More is not really helpful in that regard.If you want to go slow use a small DC transformer for electronics that has a low mA rating (less than 750mA).You can also try a smaller stainless electrode.You can go wrong here too.The problem is coins will clean up in some areas much faster than others leaving small sites of activity that will lead to rapid pitting.What you mention though is very smart.Remove the coin and try to brush off the crud and keep the surface as uniform as possible for as long as possible.I'd even say put wax or something on any area you don't want to affect.I've had no great success myself with this but I admit that I haven't really tried it on a coin with a fighting chance.I'd say you need a good surface layer with un underlying stable (free of bronze disease)sub surface.That eliminates a lot of older coins.I believe that the disconnect there is between people that have success with this and those who find it is useless is due to the nature of the coins each finds.Turn of the century coins are probably still candidates.If one's coins have underlying surface problems then forget it for the most part.I have solid older coins but they are hard enough to find that I don't trust myself in cleaning them.I'm always amazed though at what some people can achieve.
 
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