Ring From LandFill Site

[DrJoePrime]

Another chance at my landfill site [I REALLY like that place].

Thursday hunt at my landfill site was very pleasant and relaxing. I found two wheats (1953D and unknown), a nickel (1941)and a quarter sized token. The token has George Washington on the face and lots of writing on the reverse. Unfortunately it is very crudded up and I've been cleaning it these past days.

BUT then I got a nice signal...which is not too unusual because all the copper washers sound just BEAUTIFUL. This came out green and cruddy and looked like a typical plumbing part. I poke the center and it came out! I rubbed a bit and more crud came off. I turned it around and around and it started to look more and more like a RING...with a piece missing. The missing piece was not recently broken off. Looking carefully I could just about make out the depiction of a horse head on the face of the ring.

I put the ring away and three feet away... another nice signal. It was a small curving piece of metal. Could it be? I took out the "ring" and the small piece matched exactly the missing section. WoooHooo!! It appears the piece broke when the fill was moved in.

I used the aluminum foil with vinegar and salt to clean the ring...with a lot of baking soda rub afterwards. The ring has a "Made in Mexico" stamp inside and with what appears to be 9255 in the tiniest of numbers stamped on the side rim. The copper appears to be deposited from the way I cleaned the ring and it comes off with polishing.

HH Joe

 

[lockman209]

very nice

 

[goldencoin]

very interesting

HH
-GC

 

[SoreKneesDayton]

Nice ring Doc and the aluminum foil to clean it really worked.

Congrats

SKD
WeDigOhio

 

[Bridge End Farm]

you did a great job cleaning that congrats on the find

 

[Captn SE]

Fantastic transformation, Joe!

Congrats,
CAPTN SE
Dan

 

[ukeden]

nice find and it really ceaned up well do u have a link or some instructions to the foil method thanks

 

[davest]

simply amazing,

 

[DrJoePrime]

The FOIL method ...I was told about and I forget who goes like this:

I make about a 4 layer piece of folded aluminum foil and shape it into a cup. I place the coin or item into cup and cover with vinegar and sprinkle salt in there. Generally watch for the first few minutes and check often. The part will have black silver oxide crud and will need to be washed off and rubbed gently with baking soda. I repeated this about 5 times due to the heavy corrosion.... total immersed time maybe about 4 hours.

I believe you get some pitting and material loss and I would not recommend doing this except in special cases where it's non valuables. I've done it on really badly corroded dimes and a broach (from the same place). Here's a photo of the result:

HH Joe

 

[JCinNJ]

Neat Find. Make sure you wear it upside down so the good luck don't run out of it.

HH

- joe

 

[stoneseeker2003]

Great find, amazing that you even found it at all!
Wow, the difference is night and day. That really did the trick!

Thanks for sharing the pic AND the tips!!