Nova Constellatio!? help needed

[shakey]

Hello everybody and Happy Thanksgiving,

I just dug this coin 2 days ago while on vacation. Thought it was probably a half penny- which I was happy with. Got home and began cleaning it and it turns out it is almost certainly a Nova Constellatio based on what I can see so far. So now I'm really excited.

The coin came from a marsh in salt water and is covered with a crud that is harder than concrete. In the past I've cleaned coins with olive oil, hot peroxide, electrolysis and baking soda all with varying degrees of success. I'd like to clean this coin up gently and hopefully get it to the point where its identity and date is obvious. I'm leaning away from peroxide because I'd like to leave the patina on it.

Any thoughts? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[nova]

You might want to try the cleaning and preservation Thread alot of good tips there. Welcome aboard Shakey.

 

[Rusted_Iron]

hey Shakey,

Great find. I was going to say it looked like a salt water find. One thing to remember is that chloride ions are quite destructive to metals, so if you leave any of that patina on, it is probable that the coin will someday be complete toast. When it comes to items that have been in salt water, you need to get all chloride off or out before considering them preserved (or even clean).

I am not going to tell you how to clean that coin, but you might want to consider the chloride problem, at least.

 

[RPG]

You might want to try the cleaning and preservation Thread alot of good tips there. Welcome aboard Shakey.

Don in SJ. He's the pro at cleaning these old coppers. Nice find.

 

[SCMDing]

Maybe it is an Immune Columbia ( the picture is of a gold version )

 

[Evolution]

I was thinking possible Nova, or maybe a Vermont copper due to the rays. But I circled what appears to be the letter "A" in yellow, and circled in red is a possible word that I cannot make out. None of the coins mentioned seem to have any writing in the center of the coin that resemble this.

 

[Iron Patch]

You might want to try the cleaning and preservation Thread alot of good tips there. Welcome aboard Shakey.

Don in SJ. He's the pro at cleaning these old coppers. Nice find.

Don's clean up because many of his are in great condition under the crud, it won't be the same for this one!

 

[Rusted_Iron]

You might want to try the cleaning and preservation Thread alot of good tips there. Welcome aboard Shakey.

Don in SJ. He's the pro at cleaning these old coppers. Nice find.

Don's clean up because many of his are in great condition under the crud, it won't be the same for this one!

I agree, IP. The salt replaced most of the detail with corrosion. If it were my find, I'd just go ahead with electrolysis to reveal the moonlike pitted surface beneath, which will probably be almost unrecognizable. Electrolysis on a copper, only because of the chloride situation, though.

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

You might want to try the cleaning and preservation Thread alot of good tips there. Welcome aboard Shakey.

Don in SJ. He's the pro at cleaning these old coppers. Nice find.

Don's clean up because many of his are in great condition under the crud, it won't be the same for this one!

I was thinking possible Nova, or maybe a Vermont copper due to the rays. But I circled what appears to be the letter "A" in yellow, and circled in red is a possible word that I cannot make out. None of the coins mentioned seem to have any writing in the center of the coin that resemble this.

I disagree with this one

I agree, IP. The salt replaced most of the detail with corrosion. If it were my find, I'd just go ahead with electrolysis to reveal the moonlike pitted surface beneath, which will probably be almost unrecognizable. Electrolysis on a copper, only because of the chloride situation, though.

IMHO, This is the best you are going to get with this one. I would say it is PROBABLY a Nova Constellatio, but I doubt you will ever get a positive ID.

It is still a nice copper find!

I was thinking possible Nova, or maybe a Vermont copper due to the rays. But I circled what appears to be the letter "A" in yellow, and circled in red is a possible word that I cannot make out. None of the coins mentioned seem to have any writing in the center of the coin that resemble this.

You can make out the letter "T" at 7 o'clock on your coin, which matches the "T" on the coin in the die chart.

 

[Metfan]

nice find shakey....there looks to be a number 3 at the 6 o'clock position on your second pic.

 

[phantomfinder]

Very cool find , WTG

 

[teddy]

I wouldn't totally strip it but about 10 minutes in a rock tumbler with just water and fish tank gravel would do it good.
teddy