My first Cob...

[artyfacts]

Thanks Don, Wayne and Stan, for all the information and right advice. I hope everyone recovers successfully from my microscopic photos. I had a lot of fun discussing my first cob and I know not my last. I wanted to originally clean the coin, but who am I to remove 315 years of beautiful patina. It looks old. Thanks again, Arty

 

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[goldcoastwayne]

Arty,
You are more than welcome. The Spanish Cobs thread on TNet really thrives on identifying cobs...and a vast body of knowledge resides here. It is always exciting to us to identify these old coins. Finding a cob is a very special event...I hunted specifically for cobs for about a year before finding my first one. Like you said...finding a coin that is 300 to 400 years old is very exciting. C'mon down to Florida to hunt the historical beach sites! It is very addictive and a lot of fun to hunt for the really old, historical stuff.

Wayne

 

[gwdigger]

I wouldnt clean it. I like them just as found.

 

[gwdigger]

I wouldnt clean it. I like them just as found.

Thanks gwdigger, I have elected not to clean my cob and leave it as is. I was thrilled the day it fell out of my digger like someone picked it out and positioned it when it fell so that the cross was on the perfect angle, I will never forget our first meeting. I have had the pleasure of finding and digging up a early tavern site with cannon balls to Indian tinklers and artifacts from three wars. I will be donating over 400 of these artifacts along with my wonderful cob to our local museum but mums the word to its location, I have more cobs to fry.... Arty

When I first started detecting I cleaned everything. Never was I happy afterwards. The color of purple silver and olive copper may be an acquired taste.

 

[Iron Patch]

I wouldnt clean it. I like them just as found.

Thanks gwdigger, I have elected not to clean my cob and leave it as is. I was thrilled the day it fell out of my digger like someone picked it out and positioned it when it fell so that the cross was on the perfect angle, I will never forget our first meeting. I have had the pleasure of finding and digging up a early tavern site with cannon balls to Indian tinklers and artifacts from three wars. I will be donating over 400 of these artifacts along with my wonderful cob to our local museum but mums the word to its location, I have more cobs to fry.... Arty

When I first started detecting I cleaned everything. Never was I happy afterwards. The color of purple silver and olive copper may be an acquired taste.

What turned your silver purple? I have cleaned a few silver that had moderate issues and all are much better than they were. Tombac is the metal I have yet to figure out a good method to clean, and one that won't turn the metal purple of blue. I think the cob above is a very good candidate for cleaning and if mine I probably would.... but I'd never make that call unless I was able to see it in person.

 

[gwdigger]

I wouldnt clean it. I like them just as found.

Thanks gwdigger, I have elected not to clean my cob and leave it as is. I was thrilled the day it fell out of my digger like someone picked it out and positioned it when it fell so that the cross was on the perfect angle, I will never forget our first meeting. I have had the pleasure of finding and digging up a early tavern site with cannon balls to Indian tinklers and artifacts from three wars. I will be donating over 400 of these artifacts along with my wonderful cob to our local museum but mums the word to its location, I have more cobs to fry.... Arty

When I first started detecting I cleaned everything. Never was I happy afterwards. The color of purple silver and olive copper may be an acquired taste.

What turned your silver purple? I have cleaned a few silver that had moderate issues and all are much better than they were. Tombac is the metal I have yet to figure out a good method to clean, and one that won't turn the metal purple of blue. I think the cob above is a very good candidate for cleaning and if mine I probably would.... but I'd never make that call unless I was able to see it in person.

I like the way they come out of the ground. I no longer clean anything except maybe coppers and buttons with a copper bristled brush. Your handful of coins with the cobs looks good as is. Personally, I wouldnt touch that purple cob.

 

[Iron Patch]

I wouldnt clean it. I like them just as found.

Thanks gwdigger, I have elected not to clean my cob and leave it as is. I was thrilled the day it fell out of my digger like someone picked it out and positioned it when it fell so that the cross was on the perfect angle, I will never forget our first meeting. I have had the pleasure of finding and digging up a early tavern site with cannon balls to Indian tinklers and artifacts from three wars. I will be donating over 400 of these artifacts along with my wonderful cob to our local museum but mums the word to its location, I have more cobs to fry.... Arty

When I first started detecting I cleaned everything. Never was I happy afterwards. The color of purple silver and olive copper may be an acquired taste.

What turned your silver purple? I have cleaned a few silver that had moderate issues and all are much better than they were. Tombac is the metal I have yet to figure out a good method to clean, and one that won't turn the metal purple of blue. I think the cob above is a very good candidate for cleaning and if mine I probably would.... but I'd never make that call unless I was able to see it in person.

I like the way they come out of the ground. I no longer clean anything except maybe coppers and buttons with a copper bristled brush. Your handful of coins with the cobs looks good as is. Personally, I wouldnt touch that purple cob.

I don't unless I have to, and I rarely have to. In my picture the bottom 1 real to the left was cleaned, but you'd never know it even looking in person. (compared to my others) But as I said my cleaned ones only had moderate issues, nothing like the one above.

 

[gwdigger]

I wouldnt clean it. I like them just as found.

Thanks gwdigger, I have elected not to clean my cob and leave it as is. I was thrilled the day it fell out of my digger like someone picked it out and positioned it when it fell so that the cross was on the perfect angle, I will never forget our first meeting. I have had the pleasure of finding and digging up a early tavern site with cannon balls to Indian tinklers and artifacts from three wars. I will be donating over 400 of these artifacts along with my wonderful cob to our local museum but mums the word to its location, I have more cobs to fry.... Arty

When I first started detecting I cleaned everything. Never was I happy afterwards. The color of purple silver and olive copper may be an acquired taste.

What turned your silver purple? I have cleaned a few silver that had moderate issues and all are much better than they were. Tombac is the metal I have yet to figure out a good method to clean, and one that won't turn the metal purple of blue. I think the cob above is a very good candidate for cleaning and if mine I probably would.... but I'd never make that call unless I was able to see it in person.

I like the way they come out of the ground. I no longer clean anything except maybe coppers and buttons with a copper bristled brush. Your handful of coins with the cobs looks good as is. Personally, I wouldnt touch that purple cob.

I don't unless I have to, and I rarely have to. In my picture the bottom 1 real to the left was cleaned, but you'd never know it even looking in person. (compared to my others) But as I said my cleaned ones only had moderate issues, nothing like the one above.

Maybe your better at cleaning than me. I havent tried in a long, long time. Most of those coins have retoned nicely now.