colonial coin 1722 hibernia

[Digaholic]

Found this today at an old fort. I could read all the letters and the date when I found it. When i got home I put it in soap and water to clean but when it came out of the water it was worse than when I put it in. Now when I find an old coin I'm not going to clean it without some advice. Also found a 1917s Merc and a pocket spill of $2.95.

 

[RI_DirtFlipper]

WTG!!

 

[SeaninNH]

Try dropping it in some warm peroxide.

 

[Iron Patch]

Yes soap and water is a patina killer. Peroxide with no water keeps more color. If you just leave that coin alone a little of the green will come back over time... but with some clever thought there might be a way to get it back faster. I've thought a little about this but never had a copper I liked enough to bother to experiment. I would probably bury it in the yard for 6 months or so... just depends how bad you would like to see the color again. If all you used was soap and water there is a chance, just not sure how long it will take to get the color back.

That said, you dug the first issue which is way more uncommon to dig than the 2nd, and I might remember one being posted here.... compared to many many of the 2nd issue. So right there you have a good find no matter what. If it's about the size of a nickel it's a Farthing, if around quarter size it's a halfpenny.

 

[High Plains Digger]

re: getting the green patina back. Gross as it may seem, urine. Maybe ammonia would do, but perhaps it needs the salt. If you don't have the wherewithall to do the U thing, I would try the ammonia and some table salt. But do it on a 1956 Lincoln. Perhaps the composition isn't that much different. Monsanto--chemistry for life!.

 

[dfx willy]

nice find! look at my avatar its a 1723 woods hibernia. willy

 

[steelheadwill]

Great find!
the more I've dug, the less I've cleaned.
actually depends on the condition of the coin/button.
some can improve with cleaning, others have all the detail in the surface 'Dirt/corrosion' layer.
Here's a G2 that is a perfect example of a 'no cleaner'
Lovely green with some detail as is, touch it the wrong way and it would be a planchet.
Lookin forward to seeing more finds