PIECES OF 8 CONSERVATION, IMPORTANT

[charlie23]

Hello there! I´m new in this website so first of all say hello to everybody and I hope you can help me

I would like to know how to treat silver coins, in this case spanish pieces of 8, after pulled up from the sea. First off, what has to be done inmediatly after pulling them up from the sea? Put them in a bucket or box filled with salt water, or fresh water?

If they are sticked together making a "rock" ,which is the best way to get "destroy" this block and get each coin separately. After that, how can you take the stuff that is around the coin, and get it clean? I have heared about electrolysis, but I would like to know an easier way to do it.

Thank you all!

[Mackaydon]

Charlie:
Welcome to Treasure Net !!
One suggestion: Don't attempt to 'undo' the coins if they are in a conglomerate; that grouping may have far more value than the total value of the individual coins.
And if you could show us pics of these coins (the individual ones and the conglomerate) I'm sure we'd be most appreciative.
Don....

[Jason in Enid]

First thing to do is put them in fresh water. Keep them there and change the water daily for the first week, then weekly for a few months. You need to get all the salt to slowly come back out.

You will have plenty of time to plan how to either conserve or preserve them as coins or as a conglomerate.

[old man]

Charlie, Do an internet search on Reverse Electrolysis. It's a simple matter of using a battery charger, alligator clips, wires , a fish tank filled with distilled water and some baking soda. Good Luck.

[cornelis 816]

I wished some people would do as Don said . A conglomerate of coins in its original shape may be worth far more than a bunch of individual coins . Cornelius

[Mackaydon]

An easy method you can try first with one coin is to take a foot sq. piece of aluminum foil, create a reservoir with the foil, place some baking soda on the bottom, then the coin, then more baking soda and submerge it all in distilled water. Leave overnight and see what results you have in the AM.

[trinidad]

Welcome Charlie23. You can take a look on this web page:
http://nautarch.tamu.edu/crl/conserv...tionManual.pdf

It's a classic book about metal conservation from underwater sites. And be careful. If you don't, you will have a bunch of pieces of eight looking as brand new and with no historic value. Ask here and there and listen to the wise. Then, decide what to do with your coins.

[charlie23]

Thank you all for the great advise and help. I didn´t really know as many people sayed here, that the block of coins is more valuable that the bunch of coins separately.But I would like to know how to get those coins separated.For instance, as you can see the image bellow, how do you treat those coins to get each coin individually? Fresh water and let the time pass? or electrolysis?

Thank you

[Mackaydon]

Those are great looking conglomerates of coins. I'd hate to see them opened up without seeing if you could get an acceptible price without doing so. Can you ID any of them or the wreck they came from? Do you have a price for any grouping? Can you post a close up so that one or more of the coins can be ID-ed?
In my book that's a BANNER find.
Don....
EDIT: I withdraw my BANNER vote based on Darren's revelation.

[thetigers2]

CHARLIE,YES INDEED A CLOSE UP.

[Darren in NC]

Charlie, it depends on what your goals are. If your highest goal is selling for value, then leave them as they are. Anyone can buy a reale. Your coins are not simply "blocks" of cobs. They are fused together in the shape of the "treasure chest" that once carried them. It is extremely difficult to buy such items like this. Therefore, the value is higher. If you don't care about value, then you are free to separate them as you want.

Be careful with electrolysis. Many newbies aggressively use it and end up pitting the coins. Soak your coins in fresh water, and and in the meantime try electrolysis out on silverware until you get comfortable with it.

btw, very nice find! I'm jealous!

Darren

[old man]

Charlie, Banner find. Way to go treasure Finder.

[Trez]

LOL...Charlie.

First place them in white 5 gallon containers, hire a private plane and fly them to the USA.





Trez

[Darren in NC]

Hmmm...caught me off guard. I fell for it and didn't even dwell on it at all. There's no title below the pic.

Charlie, why are you showing us the coins from the Black Swan project?

http://www.shipwreck.net/g2/gallery2...+site.jpg.html

[charlie23]

Hi again! Yeah I looked at google images pictures of block of coins and this was the best I could find just to make an example of what I was telling you guys. I have never found a block of coins, only coins. So I opened this topic to know a little more about how to treat block of coins if I ever find one .

So again, just putting them in fresh water will "break" the block and get the coins individually? or what other tecnique is used to get the coins separated. Thanks!

[Mackaydon]

Thanks Darren for the keen eye.
I've retracted my BANNER vote and now know why the original poster could not provide us with the requests I made in an earlier post.
Don.......

[stevemc]

What they are saying, is IF you ever found a chunk of cobs concreted together, they are worth more stuck together. IF you find one, just one, it is usually cleaned. We used to use muratic pool acid, it works great, no problems, then rinse and lightly rub with a towel. I have done this to many cobs. 100s, and they all came out great. They are right about the reverse electrolysis, it can pit the coins. Solid silver is pretty good, doesnt corrode (unless near other metals or weird muck which it can have silver sulfides, which is a grey soft crust) and never clean with abrasives, or a wire wheel. A conglomerate is always better left uncleaned. I have seen the outer ones cleaned a little, so you can see the coins, but you really have to know what you are doing or it will devalue the whole thing.