Some Shine.. Some Don't.. Why..??

[fastdraw]

After my last post, it kind of got me wondering. Is there anybody out there that has a good knowledge of Metallurgy or geology that could answer this question. About 85% of all of the copper or silver coins I have ever pulled out of the ground don't look very pretty. Now I'm talking about real old copper coins and real old silver coins, or old Nickel coins. NOT the modern clad stuff. But once in a while... I see people on this form, posting coins that are well over a hundred years old and they look really really great..! I've posted a couple myself. Why why why..? I've seen others post coins that shouldn't be in the condition that they are since they've been in the ground for maybe a hundred years. I wonder if coins frozen in Alaska look better...?

 

[silvercoinboy]

depends on the PH of the soil surrounding the coin. if it is near equilibrium between basis and acidic, then there should be no electrolytic action on the coin. Such as some farm soil that has been neutralized over the years from the addition of lime.

 

[Draco]

I agree. chemical fertilizers and chemical fertilizers, as well as ground conditions can leave a coin completely flat. Without any relief.

 

[Draco]

Sorry for my bad English. I use online translator

 

[just1more]

No problem, Ya did good!

 

[laplander]

So many variable out there, drier conditions help as well as sandy soils. My soil is horrid and it is good black loamy but it ends to be acidic {low PH}
HH Jeff

 

[Hddeuce03]

Where I live in MD, the Mercury dimes I've dug from the ground are in VERY nice shape...very shiny! However the ones I've pulled from the Chesapeake Bay are black...I've tried cleaning them up with various methods to no avail...they are very black.

 

[IowaRelic]

We got sandy black soil here along the coast in Alabama. My coppers and silvers come out nasty. Most wheaties are really rough. Silver will be black or orange tint. Sometimes blueish. I’ve dug some nice looking coins in the woods though. Where the sand is more white or gray. Those coins get that real pretty green patina and the silver comes out shiny.

 

[fastdraw]

Sorry for my bad English. I use online translator

Your English is fine.. the online translator is working well

 

[Ronstar]

Here in Idaho with its rich Palouse soils the clad come out relatively unscathed. In the city, the water is high iron so everything gets an orange hue which turns reddish on the coins. The university uses effluent water on the play fields and pellet fertilizers so those coins get a reddish brown color. Silver coins come out silver most everywhere.

 

[u2robert]

Really good question.
Here is two Mercury dimes dug about 100 yards from each other.
The 1919 at 10" deep, black and crusty.
The 1924 at 7" nice and clean.
The 1919 Merc. been cleaned the best I could.
1924 Merc. just like I found it.

 

[fastdraw]

Really good question.
Here is two Mercury dimes dug about 100 yards from each other.
The 1919 at 10" deep, black and crusty.
The 1924 at 7" nice and clean.
The 1919 Merc. been cleaned the best I could.
1924 Merc. just like I found it.

That's a really good picture display of my original post. Good Job..!

 

[IowaRelic]

One thing to consider is the condition of the coin when dropped. We really have no idea what it was exposed too beforehand.