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Getting rid of that nasty light corrosion


Cojaro

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Well, the 1919 Canandian 1cent is in at least AU condition, still has its luster somewhat, and that nice copper color older coins have.

 

However, there is some green rust stuff, bleh, on the back. Only a little, and can probably be gotten off pretty easily, but I'm not sure with what and how.

 

Anyone have any ideas how to get it off without ruining the copper color?

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Green rust sounds like you are describing verdigris which is often a desired compound. I think you need to treat the area with an acid which can of course damage the rest of the coin.

 

Cream of Tartar dissolved in water (you can make a paste for small spots) is the method I've found to do the least harm to copper color. Although I only use that to treat sulfide layers.

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...sounds like you are describing verdigris which is often a desired compound. ...

 

:ninja:

 

 

 

Cream of Tartar dissolved in water ...

 

What is that? Anything like Cream of Wheat? We do not get these kinds of cleaning agents here, so the names are unfamiliar to me.

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creamoftartar.jpg

 

Find it in the spices. Used in baking usually.

 

potassium bitartrate

n.

 

A white, acid, crystalline solid or powder, KHC4H4O6, used in baking powder, in the tinning of metals, and as a component of laxatives. Also called cream of tartar.

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I love the pic! :ninja:

 

I'm sure you have this in Europe too, but soemtimes the names do get hard to translate.

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Try acetone or xylene first. I wouldn't let any acidic compound touch a collectible coin, though.

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Don't dip a bronze coin. That light greenish powdery corrosion has already knocked the grade out of AU, so no harm will be done by coating the coin in vaseline and rubbing the reverse lightly with your fingertips until the jelly is worked well into the design. Wipe the coin thoroughly clean with very soft tissue paper until there's no evidence of the petroleum jelly left on the surface.

 

You might get hairlines where there were none before, but the green will be gone without bothering the color of the coin in the least. The green will probably come back in a few years and you can do the same thing again. This will work for lifting dirt and grime from a circulated bronze too, but will not help those hard green spots you see on older bronzes.

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