1909-S VDB found

coinshooter · May 9, 2015

Well, I took a steel brush to it. It scratched it a bit, but that damn corrosion is no longer there. Brushing it and then soaking it in acetic acid really brightened it up. It's bright red now. Looks a little off color, but with the deep cleaning (those scratches across the face), don't look quite as bad. Unfortunately the vdb is really hard to see now.

ivan salis · May 9, 2015

cha ching...

Gridwalker306 · May 9, 2015

coinshooter said:
Well, I took a steel brush to it. It scratched it a bit, but that damn corrosion is no longer there. Brushing it and then soaking it in acetic acid really brightened it up. It's bright red now. Looks a little off color, but with the deep cleaning (those scratches across the face), don't look quite as bad. Unfortunately the vdb is really hard to see now.

Steel brush? Can you show a pic of the coin now, without the corrosion?

That is a fantastic find, and the condition is remarkable.

ArDirtSlinger · May 9, 2015

Thats awesome "shooter"... They dont get any better than that..Congrats!!!!!

ArDirtSlinger · May 9, 2015

coinshooter said:
Well, I took a steel brush to it. It scratched it a bit, but that damn corrosion is no longer there. Brushing it and then soaking it in acetic acid really brightened it up. It's bright red now. Looks a little off color, but with the deep cleaning (those scratches across the face), don't look quite as bad. Unfortunately the vdb is really hard to see now.

Not worth half of what it was now...sorry to hear you kept at it

Mackaydon · May 9, 2015

I could file my nails on those wheat lines; they are that sharp.
Great save!!
Don.......
PS: Please, tell me you are kidding about using a steel brush; the fastest way to devalue a coin.

Gridwalker306 · May 9, 2015

Mackaydon said:
I could file my nails on those wheat lines; they are that sharp.
Great save!!
Don.......
PS: Please, tell me you are kidding about using a steel brush; the fastest way to devalue a coin.

That whole "steel brush/scratches/odd colour/blurred VDB"--he has to be goofing on us haha. I sure hope so

testing123 · May 9, 2015

This must be a late April Fool's joke. Please confirm so we can all laugh it off and have a beer that it's not scratched up from a wire brush!

villagenut · May 9, 2015

So let me get this straight....you post a question as to how to clean it.....we all tell you to NOT clean it....and you proceed to do the unforgivable act of a wire brush on a KEY coin? What the What?

Dr.Tones · May 9, 2015

Awesome!!!

guardez · May 9, 2015

coinshooter said:
Well, I took a steel brush to it. It scratched it a bit, but that damn corrosion is no longer there. Brushing it and then soaking it in acetic acid really brightened it up. It's bright red now. Looks a little off color, but with the deep cleaning (those scratches across the face), don't look quite as bad. Unfortunately the vdb is really hard to see now.

maybe now if you put it on a bench wheel, maybe not a coarse but a medium wire whip.

Guardez

ps. well done.

BuckleBoy · May 9, 2015

coinshooter said:
Well, I took a steel brush to it. It scratched it a bit, but that damn corrosion is no longer there. Brushing it and then soaking it in acetic acid really brightened it up. It's bright red now. Looks a little off color, but with the deep cleaning (those scratches across the face), don't look quite as bad. Unfortunately the vdb is really hard to see now.

What

?? You just ruined your coin, man. Went from $$$$ to zilch.

BigWaveDave · May 9, 2015

There is a space in my Whitman folder that is screaming or that coin...congrats on an incredible fid!

Old Dude · May 9, 2015

Surely he was joking...

coinshooter · May 10, 2015

Yah, I was kidding. I know better than that. Sorry, couldn't help it. :laughing7:

:>)
I have not touched it besides some olive oil. I even took it out of that after someone said it was harse on coins. It didn't do anything to the coin in a one day soak.
It still looks exactly the same. If I do anything more it will be professionally done. But....the corrosion is not coming off easily, even after sonic cleaning. I am wondering if this is as good as it gets. Hey, I'm not complaining, but if I could get the corrosion off somehow, I suspect it would only help the value.

Gridwalker306 · May 10, 2015

coinshooter said:
Yah, I was kidding. I know better than that. Sorry, couldn't help it.
:>)
I have not touched it besides some olive oil. I even took it out of that after someone said it was harse on coins. It didn't do anything to the coin in a one day soak.
It still looks exactly the same. If I do anything more it will be professionally done. But....the corrosion is not coming off easily, even after sonic cleaning. I am wondering if this is as good as it gets. Hey, I'm not complaining, but if I could get the corrosion off somehow, I suspect it would only help the value.

Thank goodness...you had us worried haha!

ArDirtSlinger · May 10, 2015

coinshooter said:
Yah, I was kidding. I know better than that. Sorry, couldn't help it.
:>)
I have not touched it besides some olive oil. I even took it out of that after someone said it was harse on coins. It didn't do anything to the coin in a one day soak.
It still looks exactly the same. If I do anything more it will be professionally done. But....the corrosion is not coming off easily, even after sonic cleaning. I am wondering if this is as good as it gets. Hey, I'm not complaining, but if I could get the corrosion off somehow, I suspect it would only help the value.

Ya scared the BEEJesus out of me...LMAO

Bum Luck · May 11, 2015

coinshooter said:
Yah, I was kidding. I know better than that. Sorry, couldn't help it.
:>)
I have not touched it besides some olive oil. I even took it out of that after someone said it was harse on coins. It didn't do anything to the coin in a one day soak.
It still looks exactly the same. If I do anything more it will be professionally done. But....the corrosion is not coming off easily, even after sonic cleaning. I am wondering if this is as good as it gets. Hey, I'm not complaining, but if I could get the corrosion off somehow, I suspect it would only help the value.

Arrrrr!!!!!!!

Ok, you got us.

First, one of my most important tools is a binocular loupe:

This will bring stuff very up close.

The second (and most important) is thinking something through carefully since it is totally non-destructive, and with the right advice and course of action (that is, when it becomes irreversible) you may come out better. BUT - you only get one chance.

Metallic copper is susceptible to picking up anions like oxides and sulfides. They can be reduced (like seawater Spanish dollars) but it's tricky with copper since it has to keep its patina.