finally ruined one...ruined it good

[Blind.In.Texas]

I am not even going to post the picture of it. I dug it up at Camp Logan in the dark. I knew right away it was a coin. The crust on it was so thick you could barely see the edge. I soaked it in canola oil all night and chip at it with my finger nail.

The ELECTOLYSIS ruined my coin. It wasn't even in there very long. My oldest coin yet. A 1918 no mark wheat. I am sick... I have electrocuted many coins before. At low low voltage and current and have never had one do this. Maybe I'll post a picture of it when I am not so mad. After letting the coin soak over night a good bit of the crud had come off. I needed more off and was in a hurry. There was no need to be in a hurry because it had lain there for about 88 years. I am such a retard.

You should have seen it. All the lines where in the wheat!! There was only slight wear on the hair. The back of the coin had full embossing!!!! The date was nearly perfect!!!!! I will never electrocute anything but iron from this point on out. I have spent hours out there and this is the first coin from that period. That kind of stuff is so hard to come by. It looks like it went through a rock tumbler. So much work. So much digging. And now this.

It's not a high dollar coin, but, it was nearly at the top end of it's circulated condition value. I'm not kidding when I say it looks like it had just come off the press. No more No more No more.

I did however find a bowl which I think was used to melt lead. I must consult my map of the area to be sure that an armory of sorts was near there. I did not find any lead in the area though. Pics of the bowl later.

Laater...

 

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[West Jersey Detecting]

Better that you learned on one that has no real value. I did that once with a large cent. Now I only bathe copper in hot hydrogyn peroxide. It works 100 times better than electrolsys.

 

[Blind.In.Texas]

True. It's only worth 7 or 8 bucks, but, one always dreams of grabbing a nearly immaculate coin of age. I have used the peroxide before. I forgot all about it. Thanks for the reminder.

Laater...

 

[allen]

that bites, but good luck next time...

 

[Mona Lisa]

Unfortunately, that's how we learn, Will.

I ruined a gorgeous 2 center and an 1860's indian....both in the same day. I did use hot peroxide on both of them...but should have left them alone. I'm still kicking myself...because I haven't found a 2 center in as good condition as that one was....or an indian that is as old.

 

[damz68]

It had to have already been ruined. As far as I know electrolysis will only remove what is clinging to it. Wheather it is dirt, oxidation, patina or any other type of crud, not that patina is crud. It may have looked smooth and nice to begin with but under that smoothness lay thousands of pits where the crud was eaten away at the copper. If you want a nice 1918 penny than buy one cause you will never find one with a MD. Nice old copers can be found with a MD, but soil conditions have to be nearly perfect to preserve it. Hyrogen peroxide is much safer way to clean coppers, it leaves the crud in the pits which will give it a smooth appearance.

Now that you cleaned that penny try taking some real fine steel wool to it, the finest. What I use is sand paper real fine modeling sandpaper. I start with 5000, 8000, and finish with 12000.

 

[Blind.In.Texas]

It had to have already been ruined. As far as I know electrolysis will only remove what is clinging to it. Wheather it is dirt, oxidation, patina or any other type of crud, not that patina is crud. It may have looked smooth and nice to begin with but under that smoothness lay thousands of pits where the crud was eaten away at the copper. If you want a nice 1918 penny than buy one cause you will never find one with a MD. Nice old coopers can be found with a MD, but soil conditions have to be nearly perfect to preserve it. Hydrogen peroxide is much safer way to clean coppers, it leaves the crud in the pits which will give it a smooth appearance.

Now that you cleaned that penny try taking some real fine steel wool to it, the finest. What I use is sand paper real fine modeling sandpaper. I start with 5000, 8000, and finish with 12000.

The soil here is not very acidic. The penny was unmistakably nearly perfect. There is no way possible that patina can create the image of a near perfect coin and then leave it looking so poorly once it is gone. I checked the edges of the coin before I shocked it. Then after. Electrolysis will eat the coin when a corrosive material is added to the process. Just drop in bare wires from your DC transformer to a cup of water with a teaspoon of salt and plug 'er in. I guarantee you it will eat the wire leads right up the the wire jacket. Baking soda is less harsh in my opinion. The end result is the same though. You should read up on a few posts for electrolysis before you try it. I have shocked many objects including coper pennies, but, this one just happened to bite the dust in a serious way. Camp Logan closed around 1919. The coin was only in circulation a year, max, when it was dropped. Beneath the top 2"-3" of soil in the area is a layer of sand up to 8" deep in places. This is the area that most of the artifacts come from. Yes, they can survive it, they do get dropped in that condition, and hell yes shocking them eats them. Maybe you should research a little better before you tell someone that he/she doesn't know what he/she is talking about.

Laater...

 

[Bavaria Mike]

That's a big lesson learned! I found a large copper religious pendant at a castle built in 1107, the pendant was below a burn line as the castle burned down for the last time in mid 1700s. I learned a lot from this place. The pendant was in fair condition and I tried electrolysis on it, wiped the details off of it. I've since learned that the patina on finds is important and I do not clean much other than rinse and lightly brushing. I do dunk silver coins found on fields into silver cleaner to get the junk off. HH, Mike

 

[Blind.In.Texas]

That's a big lesson learned! I found a large copper religious pendant at a castle built in 1107, the pendant was below a burn line as the castle burned down for the last time in mid 1700s. I learned a lot from this place. The pendant was in fair condition and I tried electrolysis on it, wiped the details off of it. I've since learned that the patina on finds is important and I do not clean much other than rinse and lightly brushing. I do dunk silver coins found on fields into silver cleaner to get the junk off. HH, Mike

Okay. Now I don't feel quite so bad. After all, it was just a penny. Nothing like what you had. That has to be a far worse feeling. Yes, yes, yes. BIG lesson learned. Thanks Mike

-Mike
Laater...

 

[hollowpointred]

bummer. as a general rule i only buzz coins when they are already so corroded that i cant id them any other way. if i can tell the type of coin and the date i will leave them as they are. electrolysis is a tricky business. its real easy to do more harm than good.

 

[iamwood]

Electrolysis won't kill a coin like that. Although it looked perfect, it had to be pretty bad already. If electricity destroyed copper, it wouldn't be used for wiring. Sorry to hear about your coin.

 

[Night Stalker]

Sorry to hear about your coin - I think all of us has experienced that one at one time or another!

Lesson learned............

 

[romeo-1]

Tough break...

 

[damz68]

Yes, they can survive it, they do get dropped in that condition, and hell yes shocking them eats them. Maybe you should research a little better before you tell someone that he/she doesn't know what he/she is talking about.

Laater...

Hey tough guy or gal. I did not mean to offend you in my first post and I never said you did not know what you were doing. I have zapped quite a few coins and I know before I do it that it will render it useless, because it cleans to well. I stand behind what I told you but if you can prove me wrong, be my guest. Why in the world would you zap the coin to begin with if it looked so good?

Why dont you show us a pic of it.

 

[Snee]

That stinks...but grats on getting it in the first place!

 

[dahut]

Boy, testy bunch around here. It happens, its just a cent and youll find something else tomorrrrrrow. Lesson learned...Lets all get along shall we?

 

[Blind.In.Texas]

Yes, they can survive it, they do get dropped in that condition, and hell yes shocking them eats them. Maybe you should research a little better before you tell someone that he/she doesn't know what he/she is talking about.

Laater...

Hey tough guy or gal. I did not mean to offend you in my first post and I never said you did not know what you were doing. I have zapped quite a few coins and I know before I do it that it will render it useless, because it cleans to well. I stand behind what I told you but if you can prove me wrong, be my guest. Why in the world would you zap the coin to begin with if it looked so good?

Why dont you show us a pic of it.

What the...?? = (You) "I know before I do it that it will render it useless" translates to = (You) "As far as I know electrolysis will only remove what is clinging to it."

You are making yourself look bad. You didn't read my post too well.

What the...? = (ME) "Just drop in bare wires from your DC transformer to a cup of water with a teaspoon of salt and plug 'er in. I guarantee you it will eat the wire leads right up the the wire jacket. " (You) "I stand behind what I told you but if you can prove me wrong, be my guest."

Now will you stop replying?



The shooter was found a few inches from the "mystery wheat". Same depth. Same soil. No electrolysis. Canola oil and water. The merc was from a previous hunt elsewhere.

 

[dahut]

Wow, it did turn out pretty mangy, didnt it? The electrolysis did that?

Better soak em for awhile next time. I usually leave mine to soak for a week or more. Sometimes I forget about them and find them later. But I dont soak them in water - I use olive oil instead. It loosens the crud slowly.
Last time I left a few, forgotten, it was some IH's and 1909 Wheats.

But I dont worry too much over coppers, and you shouldnt either - common dates that is. Even when they are in good numismatic condition, they aint worth squat. Neat to find, possible harbingers of better things to come, but essentially worthless.

Lucky for you it WAS just one of the untold gazillion Wheats lost in the earth. Now settle down my friend, take a deep breath and, here, take a drink of this beer........ doesn't that make you feel better? In fact, have another one....

 

[Blind.In.Texas]

Wow, it did turn out pretty mangy, didnt it? The electrolysis did that?

Better soak em for awhile next time. I usually leave mine to soak for a week or more. Sometimes I forget about them and find them later. But I dont soak them in water - I use olive oil instead. It loosens the crud slowly.
Last time I left a few, forgotten, it was some IH's and 1909 Wheats.

But I dont worry too much over coppers, and you shouldnt either - common dates that is. Even when they are in good numismatic condition, they aint worth squat. Neat to find, possible harbingers of better things to come, but essentially worthless.

Lucky for you it WAS just one of the untold gazillion Wheats lost in the earth. Now settle down my friend, take a deep breath and, here, take a drink of this beer........ doesn't that make you feel better? In fact, have another one....

The beer is good. Now bum me a smoke. I know it's not worth anything. The issue is that finding stuff around here older than the 40's is near on impossible. I dug a 26 and 28 wheat in the backyard. Pure luck. Of all the countless holes I have dug this one happened to hold a really nice lucky find. I have been digging myself to death and finally scored a nice date for me. 1918 is a huge deal around here given the way things get covered up. So much concrete. And aside from the fact that I knew better than to leave it in there long. Got to building the kid's clubhouse and forgot about it. Oh well. There are many many acres to search through out there. I'm sure I'll be finding something else.

Laater...

 

[dahut]

See there now, doing all that good deed crap for them ungrateful little wretches - see what it got you. Next time, send the little monsters outside so you can have some peace and quiet, sit back with your feet up and your favored cereal grain beverage and watch that coin real close. And, "No honey, I aint fixing that light switch right now."
That'll do nicely.