RustyRelics
Gold Member
- Apr 5, 2019
- 5,910
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- Equinox 600/Ancient Whites MXT
- Primary Interest:
- Relic Hunting
I found this button when I was 15 years old, at DIV XL in Culpeper County Virginia. It's one of about 40 known dug examples, and is extremely rare. Confederate staff officers flat buttons with the eagles wings facing upwards were made by one or two local shops in the area. Anyways, I never cleaned it, because I didn't trust myself. Now that I am older, and more experienced, I decided to tackle cleaning it. As you can see, it has a lot of dirt/buildup on it. It doesn't look bad as is, but it doesn't look great either.
I began by soaking it in distilled water for several hours to loosen up any dirt. Then came the scary part. I took a blunt sewing needle, and slowly and gently scraped away the dirt and buildup on the face. (I know some of you had a stroke when you read sewing needle, but hear me out. Needles are actually a lot better than toothpicks, because they don't wear down with each pass, and as long as you're gentle, it won't destroy the patina. They're very helpful for cleaning dug roman coins) After that, I soaked it again, and began "polishing" with a Q-tip and some olive oil. Most of the oil is wiped off in the process, but just enough is left behind to seal it.
Here's how it looks so far. I'm taking a break from it tonight. There is still some stubborn buildup, especially near the bottom. I'll use an ultra fine needle for this, under magnification. I'll take more pictures, and in daylight when I'm finished.
I began by soaking it in distilled water for several hours to loosen up any dirt. Then came the scary part. I took a blunt sewing needle, and slowly and gently scraped away the dirt and buildup on the face. (I know some of you had a stroke when you read sewing needle, but hear me out. Needles are actually a lot better than toothpicks, because they don't wear down with each pass, and as long as you're gentle, it won't destroy the patina. They're very helpful for cleaning dug roman coins) After that, I soaked it again, and began "polishing" with a Q-tip and some olive oil. Most of the oil is wiped off in the process, but just enough is left behind to seal it.
Here's how it looks so far. I'm taking a break from it tonight. There is still some stubborn buildup, especially near the bottom. I'll use an ultra fine needle for this, under magnification. I'll take more pictures, and in daylight when I'm finished.
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