removing patina and corrosion

[life_digger]

hey guys i just wondered the best way to remove a litte bit of the green color and corrosion from a copper coin with out messing up the details too bad

[fistfulladirt]

hey guys i just wondered the best way to remove a litte bit of the green color and corrosion from a copper coin with out messing up the details too bad

I've found that hot peroxide soaks work to loosen heavy corrosion, but tend to darken copper coins, and can wipe out detail on a very old delicate coin. A virgin olive oil soak for a couple days or even weeks helps to loosen crud or corrosion. I had what I thought was a toasted 1864 IH, after soaking in oil for a week I was able to lift all of the crud and expose nice detail underneath.
Good luck, ffd

[postalgriff]

hey guys i just wondered the best way to remove a litte bit of the green color and corrosion from a copper coin with out messing up the details too bad

I've found that hot peroxide soaks work to loosen heavy corrosion, but tend to darken copper coins, and can wipe out detail on a very old delicate coin. A virgin olive oil soak for a couple days or even weeks helps to loosen crud or corrosion. I had what I thought was a toasted 1864 IH, after soaking in oil for a week I was able to lift all of the crud and expose nice detail underneath.
Good luck, ffd

yeah I second that. We are fortunate to live in Michigan where the soil is pretty good on coppers, and I love to keep the green patina on them if possible. But most of the time I soak them in boiled peroxide for 5 minutes or so at a time. Sometimes I'll scrub them with a worn out choreboy, then once their dry, I'll lightly rub a little olive oil on them. Sometimes corrosion wont come off though. But of course they will always say with a valuable coin you shouldn't clean it at all. good luck, Griff

[Mike from MI]

If it is a nice green, I wouldn't touch it. If it has some crusty build up, drop it in olive oil for a few weeks then use a thorn or toothpick to pick at the crust.