jerseyben
Gold Member
Here is a question for the field walkers and colonial copper hunters on here:
Last night, Jim and I were talking about our finds and we both lamented that we are dissappointed by the outcome when removing soil from our copper coins. After getting the coins home, the dirt has dried on the surface of the coins. Jim uses boiling peroxide and toothpicking (when necessary) to remove it. I use room temp peroxide followed by a distilled water soak. Unfortunately, the end result is that the coins all turn a very deep green which can cover up any previously visible detail.
So here is the problem: You can either have a nice freshly dug copper coin with its natural environmental patina and leave it untouched and thus covered in dirt and loose soil (as found). Or, you can remove the loose dirt with peroxide or distilled water but this almost always leaves a deep green patina on the coin, which can cover up the details and it often makes a coin look much worse than when it was freshly dug.
This got me thinking. Ever notice that when you rub a coin in the field and then get it home and after cleaning it - the part you rubbed always looks the best? I know some guys keep coins moist after they are dug (wrapping in a wet cloth). Others drop coins in a small jar of distilled water after digging. Who is currently having success with "taking action in the field" and is "treating/cleaning" their dug coppers in the field just after digging them?
Looking for opinions from field walkers who have experience with the above scenarios.
Last night, Jim and I were talking about our finds and we both lamented that we are dissappointed by the outcome when removing soil from our copper coins. After getting the coins home, the dirt has dried on the surface of the coins. Jim uses boiling peroxide and toothpicking (when necessary) to remove it. I use room temp peroxide followed by a distilled water soak. Unfortunately, the end result is that the coins all turn a very deep green which can cover up any previously visible detail.
So here is the problem: You can either have a nice freshly dug copper coin with its natural environmental patina and leave it untouched and thus covered in dirt and loose soil (as found). Or, you can remove the loose dirt with peroxide or distilled water but this almost always leaves a deep green patina on the coin, which can cover up the details and it often makes a coin look much worse than when it was freshly dug.
This got me thinking. Ever notice that when you rub a coin in the field and then get it home and after cleaning it - the part you rubbed always looks the best? I know some guys keep coins moist after they are dug (wrapping in a wet cloth). Others drop coins in a small jar of distilled water after digging. Who is currently having success with "taking action in the field" and is "treating/cleaning" their dug coppers in the field just after digging them?
Looking for opinions from field walkers who have experience with the above scenarios.