Jump to content
CoinPeople.com

sigistenz

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,046

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by sigistenz

  4. 5kop1764EM nice overstrike - but corroded

    in Russian Coin Forums

    Posted

    Hi Sigi and all! Nice coin! I must agree with Josh, Sigi. Verdicare, is a good product, but gives good results mostly on small spots and on a surface that is smooth all over. I had experiments with Verdicare on a similar 5 kopecks coin (problems / age - wise) as yours and the only result was making it's original patina lighter after prolonged use, as there was little to no result on a dark area. That actually makes it looking worse, due to the contrast between the light and dark areas. Verdicare helped a little with removing the green, but did not help with big dark spots on 5k that were uncovered under the green. Unfortunately, I see only two choices here. Leave it be. Yes, it's a little ugly, but it is what it is. Or, try and change it's color all over. The only (and unpopular with me) method may or may not involve mechanical cleaning / chemical cleaning first, that makes the area smoother and more alike to touch. And as I am usually not happy with the result after that, as the coin then looks like a Christmas tree decoration, I would try to change the color to a dark brown with a somewhat easy, but complected method (due to practice and trial and error). After mech / chem cleaning coin that is pretty much has been striped from patina left in the distilled water for 48 hours, changing the water and turning the coin 2-3 times. After that (important!) dry it with fan heating it up a little, to remove any moisture. Once it is "decontaminated" and dried, use somewhat heat resistant gloves to hold it. Use bamboo sticks. Light one and holding coin parallel to the ground but above the level of your eyes, so you can see, bring the burning bamboo stick very close (almost touching) to the surface of the coin and move the fire around the coin surface area. It will look like coin becoming a little moist, due to un-burn oil form bamboo ending up on the coin surface. After the coin is all covered, cool it down a little, to it's not painful to touch, but not to the room temp, and before the oil sets rub the coin with your fingers, smoothing the coverage down. Examine the color (usually light brown). If not happy yet, repeat the procedure after cooling coin down completely and giving it a couple of hours for the color to set. If still not happy, put your fire / heat (bbq) gloves back on and heat the coin over open gas-fire. Here it is important not to over-heat the coin, so it doesn't loose it's "ring" and doesn't turn completely dark. Heat it briefly on both sides and let it cool for a few hours, remember as times goes by and coin cools down, the color may still darken further, so do not try to make it look a desired color when it is still hot or it will go even darker that you would like. If still not satisfied, repeat the heating. Take care with not letting the oil on the coin's surface catch fire. If that happens - remove it from the fire, blow the fire out and rub the oil all aver the coin again, until it hardens a bit. Once you are happy with the color result, leave it to dry for about a week. As much as I hate this drastic method for coin looses its original patina, sometimes it is a last resort. Experiment with some common coins first, it's fun. And think if you what to do this with your better coin... Whatever you decide, good luck, and please share the results.

     

    Eugene, thank you so much for the detailed advice! You sacrified much of your precious time! I apreciate very much your warning that Verdi-Care could lead to worsening the contrast! I'll keep a print out of the bamboo method and will try it when I have a few quiet hours ahead. :yes:

    Thank you again, Sigi

  5. 5kop1764EM nice overstrike - but corroded

    in Russian Coin Forums

    Posted

     

    Hi Sigi, I never tried heating the oil. But it is important to use extra-virgin quality because the cheaper oil has much higher acidity. Like gxseries said, try it on something common first.

     

    I have had mixed results from olive oil in the past. If the corrosion is in a very limited area and not too deep, it can be very effective. But with this one, I expect to still see the variations in toning after soaking the coin. Maybe you can get rid of the little green specks, but the darker areas will probably not change much.

     

    Here are before and after pictures from an experiment I did:

     

    BEFORE...

     

    Russia_2_Kopeiki_1824_EM_PG_obv.thumb.jpRussia_2_Kopeiki_1824_EM_PG_rev.thumb.jp

     

    AFTER:

     

    Russia_2k_1824_EM_PG_obv.thumb.jpgRussia_2k_1824_EM_PG_rev.thumb.jpg

     

    Good luck ... let us know what the outcome is!

     

    Hello Bob, thank you very much for your time and mostly for showing an example before and after. Your coin sure looks better after soaking, less dark. But reading Eugene's experiences makes me somewhat hesitant. I'm afraid that on my coin the nice brown could also get lighter with the dark areas remaining dark - if not darker. The annoying contrast would then be even worse... :shock:

    Still undecided what to do - but I'm not in a hurry.

    Sigi

  6. 5kop1764EM nice overstrike - but corroded

    in Russian Coin Forums

    Posted

    Sigi, if you can get your hands on Verdicare, I highly recommend you to give it a try. This is one of the links: http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/products/verdi-care.html

     

     

    Not too sure how the shipping would work but do inquire.

     

    You get results quicker than olive oil and I had mostly good results. The only exception is when the coin was cleaned and was covered by artificial patina and verdigris - there's not much you can do with either olive oil or Verdicare other than letting it retone.

     

    Give it a test on a lower value 5 kopek before you take my word for it :)

     

    Hello Hisa, I ordered the stuff, thank you :drinks:

    Will post result.

    Sigi

  7. 5kop1764EM nice overstrike - but corroded

    in Russian Coin Forums

    Posted

    This is not a bad coin - doesn't seem to be too heavily corroded! I believe you should always obtain a difficult coin despite it's condition if the price is right. You can always upgrade later and not worry about not finding a better example ten years down the road. (if not longer :) )

     

    That said, I don't remember seeing any 5 kopek EM coins overstruck over 1762 10 kopek. Wow.

     

     

    Hello Hisa, I just don't like an unpleasant coin in a tray of 25. It always catches my eye.

    As to EM 5 kopeks struck over the 1762 10kopek, you can see a 1763 and another 1764 in my collection - link below.

    Now I am unsure wether to replace my old 1764 with this new (corroded) one. It is much bolder.

    Problems, problems........... :crazy:

    Sigi

     

    .

  8. 5kop1764EM nice overstrike - but corroded

    in Russian Coin Forums

    Posted

    I don't think it looks so bad. At least to me, to judge from the picture, the corrosion looks stable. Probably has been cleaned many years ago. But I think any attempt to improve it today would probably be dangerous. At most, maybe a little olive oil.

     

    Nice overstrike, Sigi! :bthumbsup:

     

    Hi Bob, I once soaked a similar coin in olive oil for a year without seeing any change. Would you heat the olive oil or how would you proceed?

    Thank you - Sigi

     

    .

  9. 5kop1764EM nice overstrike - but corroded

    in Russian Coin Forums

    Posted

    Hi Josh, my own tries most often also led to worsebettering :shock:

    with very few exceptions. Leave it be, you say. But in a tray of 25 coins with 24 of them being nice, it sticks out. I am still thinking to do something about it.

    As to any Elizabeth traces, I can't say. This is a very powerful overstrike. There are some indistinct traces of undercoin, but I cannot attribute them to Elizabeth - they are to weak and too fractional to determine wether they are Peter's or Elizabeth's. Of course, not all of the 10kop1762 were overstrikes - quite some were struck on new planchets.

    .

  18. 5kop1767 MM

    in Russian Coin Forums

    Posted

    Hi everybody, my post was hijacked somehow - 1st picture was a scan. Here is a photo of the coin.

    The coin does not look untouched (few coins that old do, BTW).

    Just to show off, as it is quite quiet - holiday season.

    Sigi :crazy:

     

    2aa897.jpg

     

    .

     

  23. 5kop1767 MM

    in Russian Coin Forums

    Posted

    Sometimes there are 4-5 months without any catch but this is already my 3rd coin this year. It is from James Elmen's (WORLD WIDE COINS OF CALIFORNIA) May auction.

    Looks like artificially toned :confus:

    but I'll give it a new home gladly because it is difficult to find. Most are uglier.

    Sigi

    onq4.jpg

×
×
  • Create New...