To clean or not?

[conkauctions]

I found this "disc". I have brushed and rinsed and am to this point. It looks to be a coin or medallion of some sorts. The flat edge looks to have letters on it. Not sure. The patina is great. What do i do? Is there a way to get all the rust off without ruining the patina so i can see exactly what it is?

Thanks

 

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[huntsman53]

I would advise against using any kind of brush or other abrasive material to try to clean the coin. There does not appear to be much hope in determining if the disk is in fact a coin or token. However, I would recommend an Acetone for a few minutes, remove, rinse with water, dry, then soak the coin in Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Mineral Oil for several weeks up to several months. When removed, remove as much corrosion, dirt and/or grime as possible with a green Rose Thorn. If some of the corrosion, dirt and/or grime is stubborn, return the coin to the Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Mineral Oil bath and let soak for several more weeks, then try to remove more of the corrosion, dirt and/or grime is possible, the rinse with distilled water, pat dry between the folds of a soft towel. At this point, if there are any details ever going to be revealed, they should be and if not, there never will be or were never there to begin with!


Frank

 

[conkauctions]

Sounds good. Thanks for the advice. I was reading that some people use vinegar. Would you advise against that?

 

[enamel7]

Sounds good. Thanks for the advice. I was reading that some people use vinegar. Would you advise against that?

Vinegar is an acid and will do more harm than good. Don't listen to those people.

 

[conkauctions]

Ha ha ok thanks again

 

[cudamark]

I normally would agree to not use anything harsh to clean it until you know what it is, but in this case, I seriously doubt it's a coin and in the condition it's in, probably not valuable anyway. I'd hit it with some Evaporust and not give it a second thought. Now, if you found it among some other valuable or historic relics, you might want to get some expert advice as to what it might be before doing any kind of restoration.

 

[conkauctions]

Agreed, i don't think it is salvageable but once i figure the best way to clean things it will be invaluable information. As far as with other relics i did find a few other things. Attached is the photo of the afternoon finds. The things around the "coin" were the thing that looks like a leaf spring and what looks like a horse buckle or foot thing (stirrup?) the piece of metal which is curved (hard to see in the pic) which may have been a small cooking vessel. All of these were on a wagon trail in the blue mountain range under the layer of rock and about 6-8 inches in the clay. If the cleaning of the coin is successful i will clean the clasp or stirrup and see what that brings. The one thing that is confusing to me is the leaf spring. I know they were used through time but when did rubber start being used?

 

[orm25]

You could try warm/hot hydrogen peroxide (Warning: May turn green patina black)