GRAY GHOST
New member
hello all. iv'e been researching this topic on and off for a while now. it's always seemed to be a difficult and sticky topic, and harder yet to do it properly. honestly, i haven't found any one way to clean old copper coins to my satisfaction. electrolysis does well, especially with the lower voltage [9 volts/12 volts] plug in power packs. the higher voltage [15 volts/18 volts] packs work more quickly, but iv'e noticed a difference in the overall look of the coin. adding lemon juice seems to help too. they often come out looking too shiny or brassy looking, so i put them on the roof for a week or two, [literally] flipping them every so often. it darkens the coin, and it looks better overall. so if you ever over - clean an old copper coin, that's a good way to restore it. leave it to the elements! i read somewhere that museums in europe will boil old copper coins in water and wood ash. the mild acid in the wood ash acts as the catalyst, and the boiling part doesn't hurt the coin itself. interesting, i will try it. then you have the freeze method, also used by museums worldwide for particularly delicate hammered coins and very old coppers, as well as relics of all sorts. the coin is frozen in a cube of ice, allowed to completely thaw, rinsed off with water, then refrozen again and again until the desired result is achieved. it seems like an almost "hands off" approach, very pure and clean, and i can see where it would work. i will try that too sometime. i want to get away from the old olive oil approach, there has to be a better way! i have always wondered how the museums did it, i want us all to know their secrets! i sure would like to hear your ideas too. thanks for reading, long post i know, hh,