Key Date Indian 1871: Updated Cleaned pics, corrosion not as bad as I thought

[BobinSouthVA]

Update 7/11: Posted cleaned pics, reply 13

The temperature was nice enough today to get out for a short hunt. Got out to a property to hunt the road going through the fields as the corn is in full harvest and the fields are inaccessible. Starting working one part of the road that turned up the buckle, button and the strange copper thing with the pretty design. The padlock cover has PAT and then nothing where the date should be.

There are tons of shotgun shells in this area so I was pleasantly surprised to dig only one today.

As my time was running short I moved further down the road a ways and dug the barber dime. Only my second so far and the same date as my first one.

The next target I dug, and the last of the day, was the Indian head. Doing some searching it looks as if its a rare date, but the fertilizer sure did like eating this coin up. This is the same field I found my 1773 half penny in and that was in bad shape as well. I'd like to get it in a peroxide bath but not sure if she can handle it. The last on I found here had a date until I tried to clean it. Ugh...

in the bottom pic you can see the imprint in the dirt where she has been cooking in the fertilizer.

Thanks for looking and HH.

 

[Tuberale]

Re: Key Date Indian 1871 with fertilizer sickness

Most fertilizer is acidic. So I'd treat the coin first to a gentle bath with some chalk or eggshells first. Calcium should rid the coin of any acid still present, and should help to stabilize the coin for the future.

I wouldn't scrub the coin, brush the coin, or use anything more aggressive to clean the coin than just soaking it with chalk and/or ground eggshells to begin with.

After letting the coin soak for a day or two or three, remove it from the bath, and rinse under running cold water for 10 minutes. A slow trickle of water is enough. Turn the coin at 5 minutes so that the water directly falls on both sides.

After this treatment, you may try using acetone or hydrogen peroxide. I'd use acetone myself. Acetone reacts ONLY with organic material, such as phosphate or ammonia, if there is any residual material still there. I would not use anything else to clean the coin with.

Please send more photos if you choose to use the above method, to let us know whether there is improvement in overall appearance.

 

[BobinSouthVA]

Re: Key Date Indian 1871 with fertilizer sickness

Most fertilizer is acidic. So I'd treat the coin first to a gentle bath with some chalk or eggshells first. Calcium should rid the coin of any acid still present, and should help to stabilize the coin for the future.

I wouldn't scrub the coin, brush the coin, or use anything more aggressive to clean the coin than just soaking it with chalk and/or ground eggshells to begin with.

After letting the coin soak for a day or two or three, remove it from the bath, and rinse under running cold water for 10 minutes. A slow trickle of water is enough. Turn the coin at 5 minutes so that the water directly falls on both sides.

After this treatment, you may try using acetone or hydrogen peroxide. I'd use acetone myself. Acetone reacts ONLY with organic material, such as phosphate or ammonia, if there is any residual material still there. I would not use anything else to clean the coin with.

Please send more photos if you choose to use the above method, to let us know whether there is improvement in overall appearance.

Thanks Tuberale, I have not heard of those methods. I'll give it a try and post some results later.

 

[BobinSouthVA]

Re: Key Date Indian 1871 with fertilizer sickness

It's a shame about the indian Looks you still had a good hunt though

HH! Freehunter.

Thanks Freehunter, it was a good hunt.

 

[allen]

Re: Key Date Indian 1871 with fertilizer sickness

sucks about the Indian, but you
did get a sweet looking Barber !

 

[rottonr]

Re: Key Date Indian 1871 with fertilizer sickness

Great looking Barber. Toasted copper coins are so sad.

 

[BobinSouthVA]

Re: Key Date Indian 1871 with fertilizer sickness

sucks about the Indian, but you
did get a sweet looking Barber !

Yeah that got my blood pumping. also made me hunt another 20 mins and made me late for a date with the misses. Doh...

 

[BobinSouthVA]

Re: Key Date Indian 1871 with fertilizer sickness

Great looking Barber. Toasted copper coins are so sad.

Thanks Rottonr. Yeah its sad to see these coppers in such poor condition. It seems most of the ones I've dug lately have been this way. The clean barber was a nice change of pace from the corroded coppers.

 

[lostlake88]

Re: Key Date Indian 1871 with fertilizer sickness

thats a dang shame! Good job anyway.

 

[BobinSouthVA]

Re: Key Date Indian 1871 with fertilizer sickness

thats a dang shame! Good job anyway.

Thanks Lostlake88

 

[civilman1]

Re: Key Date Indian 1871 with fertilizer sickness

That DOES suck,but hey,you have one Nice little Riker box all the same Congrat's

 

[BobinSouthVA]

Re: Key Date Indian 1871 with fertilizer sickness

Most fertilizer is acidic. So I'd treat the coin first to a gentle bath with some chalk or eggshells first. Calcium should rid the coin of any acid still present, and should help to stabilize the coin for the future.

I wouldn't scrub the coin, brush the coin, or use anything more aggressive to clean the coin than just soaking it with chalk and/or ground eggshells to begin with.

After letting the coin soak for a day or two or three, remove it from the bath, and rinse under running cold water for 10 minutes. A slow trickle of water is enough. Turn the coin at 5 minutes so that the water directly falls on both sides.

After this treatment, you may try using acetone or hydrogen peroxide. I'd use acetone myself. Acetone reacts ONLY with organic material, such as phosphate or ammonia, if there is any residual material still there. I would not use anything else to clean the coin with.

Please send more photos if you choose to use the above method, to let us know whether there is improvement in overall appearance.

Great Tip Tuberale Thanks For Sharing..........

HH! Freehunter.

Thanks for the ideas Tuberale, I did use your process which I'm sure helped dlow or stop the corrosion.

However there was still considerable debris on the surface of the coin so I broke down and gave it a peroxide bath. It turns out the corrosion was not as bad as I had thought and she is looking great. I think I'm done cleaning it though even with the little dirt remaining. Too bad it wasn't laying on the other side, the reverse looks great.

 

[Tuberale]

OMG! OMG! OMG!

I NEVER expected that 1871 to get that nice looking! Thought sure it was toast. Now has feather details, full LIBERTY, acorns on back. You just turned a AG3 into something closer to a XF40! BANNER!