First Lot Uncleaned Roman Coins

[Mzjavert]

A co-worker buys uncleaned Ancient Roman Empire coins in bulk. I've bought 10 coins from the lot he ordered yesterday.

What are the best methods to clean these coins without destroying the patina?

 

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[Plumbata]

I soak in several changes of water to remove soluble salts/chemicals, scrub the loose dirt, then use an "ancient coin cleaning pencil" to mechanically remove the crust from the dry coin. I use a fiberglass tipped one with good success, it is soft enough to preserve the patina on coins with any patina worth preserving to begin with. I do not like the olive oil method.

 

[Tpmetal]

A co-worker buys uncleaned Ancient Roman Empire coins in bulk. I've bought 10 coins from the lot he ordered yesterday.

What are the best methods to clean these coins without destroying the patina?

DISTILLED(important) water soak changing water daily, when changing water use toothpick to very carefully loosen the top layer of soil then back to soak. This can take up to a few weeks sometimes. I use a stero microscope with wood tools and very fine diamond tools in a pin vice for the rough crust. Im not a fan of the pencil in previous post, have one but its hard to keep sharp enough to do much with and i feel safer with wood. After you are satisfied dry at 240 in oven and treat with high grade microcrystaline wax. NEVER NEVER NEVER USE OLIVE OIL! BAD BAD BAD.

 

[Plumbata]

What kind of wood? I've tried the bamboo skewers but even they don't seem quite hard enough.

Got myself what looked like a nice bronze from Temnos to clean, but when it arrived it mysteriously had 9 points of active bronze disease. Distilled water is your friend, shoulda specified.

 

[Tpmetal]

What kind of wood? I've tried the bamboo skewers but even they don't seem quite hard enough.

Got myself what looked like a nice bronze from Temnos to clean, but when it arrived it mysteriously had 9 points of active bronze disease. Distilled water is your friend, shoulda specified.

regular tooth picks or bamboo, really whatever is laying around at my place. For the hard stuff I use the extremely fine diamond tools and get under a microscope so I'm sure not to touch the patina, I get the majority with that then finish with tooth pick.

 

[Mzjavert]

I appreciate each and every answer! I haven't even gotten the coins, but have already learned a few things.

My co-worker uses electrolysis, but I thought that is to advanced a technique for a beginner to ancient coins.

FYI I found a 1600 year old Roman coin in a tot lot 5 years ago. Its my favorite find, unfortunately I no longer have it (thanks thief). I hope to find the same coin by buying uncleaned coins.

 

[Tpmetal]

I appreciate each and every answer! I haven't even gotten the coins, but have already learned a few things.

My co-worker uses electrolysis, but I thought that is to advanced a technique for a beginner to ancient coins.

FYI I found a 1600 year old Roman coin in a tot lot 5 years ago. Its my favorite find, unfortunately I no longer have it (thanks thief). I hope to find the same coin by buying uncleaned coins.

Electrolysis is a huge no no in my book for anything but old iron, but to each their own. It will damage and remove the patina. You want to preserve the patina at all costs, even if it means leaving some dirt on a coin with fragile patina.

 

[Tpmetal]

Though if you could please tell your friend to stop abusing those poor Romans I would appreciate it.

 

[Mzjavert]

Though if you could please tell your friend to stop abusing those poor Romans I would appreciate it.

I told him and it went right over his head. Then he went Sheldon Cooper on me. Yes, he's one of those super-intelligent types who lacks common sense.

 

[Mzjavert]

Got my coins yesterday. He actually gave me 12 coins from the lot. Several have bronze disease, a couple cases are severe. Even uncleaned, I am amazed at details in the smallest coins.

Got them soaking in distilled water and will use a toothpick on them when I get home from work tonight.

 

[RestoringYourFinds]

I definitely agree with what was said... No OLIVE OIL !!!
I use Andre's pencils. Here are some pictures of the last one I cleaned using them:

It's the tiny one on the left.
Here is the result:


And believe me, that crust was insane! I have had even better results. This coin just happened to be the last one I cleaned with the pencils.
Last but not least, I tend to favor dry cleaning whenever possible. For this very coin, I did something I usually recommend not doing but that crust left me with no choice. I dipped the edge of the hard point pencil in distilled water. If ever, ever using water, I will always go with distilled water.