Should one clean ancient coins that one buys on eBay and such? Is there a risk of damaging them? What's the safest cleaning technique, generally speaking?
yeah, you are gonna want to remove any dirt on the surface, especially the patina,
it will be worth more with out it
are you new to coin collecting?
if you soak them in vinigar or ketchup, or coca cola, something acidy
you should google it real quick though
>>945598
Thanks for the advice.
Yes, I'm new at coin collecting. I bought some coins on eBay from auctions that had no bids, far below the price that they usually sell for (I researched prices using several tools before buying).
I received the coins I purchased, however, many of them are coated in some kind of ancient dirt/filth.
Is there a risk of damaging coins in the process of cleaning them? Also, how much can one expect to gain in terms of price after cleaning the coins?
Is dis nigga srs, NEVER CLEAN COINS. Maybe brush with a soft, dry toothbrush to remove grime but never remove oxidation or patina, you will actually lower your coins value by doing that
>>945635
This.
im not trying to steer you away from this forum. sure if you can link other forums but google treasurenet and post a pic of your coins on appropriate subforum. you will get a stupid level of detail.
Use an ultrasonic jewelery cleaner. Just use water and a touch of dish soap. The coin is clean and the finish is untouched.
>>945603
ok, for real though
dont clean them
when i googled it real fast just now it said maybe soak them in olive oil
removing the patina will remove all value of the coin
post pics of your coins
So, metallurgist here. Here's the question I pose to the nay-sayers when it comes to cleaning coins. If I handed you an indian head nickel from 1920 in extremely pristine condition, what exactly would tip you off that I cleaned it just from the sight and feel? I personally would need a microscope to be sure.
>>946278
why do people keep them in cases when they could be collecting all that beautiful dirt and patina. not dragging your coins through the dirt to add value.
>>946278
warm water and dawn and a gentle touch, other then that you are a super f glord
>>945595
Working on an actual roman archaeological site in italy as conservator, and found 100+ coins for the last season this whole thread is just hilarious.
If you don't know anything about basic chemistry, aging of metals, metals as a whole, numismatic, ancient history or art, just don't touch and buy them, either you will waste your money on some crap thats not worth it or you will damage something really good, best case scenario is you are going to damage something thats worth a penny but you got it for $ 50 +
>>945595
Basic rules are:
>1. If the coin is clean enough to see the details on it and recognize it and estimate the value of it, leave it as it is.
>2. If the coin is really dirty or has patina and you can't read/see anything try cleaning it first with red vinegar for few minutes, but don't over do it, repeat until you get to point 1.
>3. If after first two steps you still can't see anything on it, you either damaged it irreversibly (or the actual state of it was like that), or you should refer to the location you found it, historical layer (ancient, medieval or newer era), surroundings or other items/coins found nearby (ON THE SAME layer).
Many newcomers go on a site, search for stuff, and get few iron or bronze coins from the ~1600 then proceed on the next layer and find some item from the 100 B.C. and assume the coins are from that era. We laugh a lot when it happens, but mostly you will lose a lot of time/energy (sometimes months or years even) in search of where does that coin comes from etc (if its not clear enough ) and be disappointed at the end.
Get few numismatic books and read a lot before buying anything.
Also learn ancient history, but don't you only one source of evidence or author, read it few times from diferent ones.
>>946362
BS conservators don't 'find' shit, it's the archaeologists who do the finding.
>>945595
NO NO NO NO NO NEVER EVER NO
>>946427
And you are ?
Coz I spend last 8 years in university for this job.
Also we DO FIND SHIT, archaeologists just stand BY US while we are on site, much like architects on building sites, architects DO NOT LAY BRICKS they make the plans how the stuff is going to look like at the end, and they are there to make sure everything is according to plan, and the bricklayers (conservators) are there to execute the plan. So at the end of the day we do whatever the main archaeologist say.
Also at the exact place I am working its almost impossible to NOT find anything just by walking around the site, its old temple that has never been research before.
>>946451
So, yes yes yes yes yes always always yes?
You're not being quite clear with your statement.
>>946278
if you show me a century old coin that looks brand new, i will assume it to fake.
>>946457
Like the people who make counterfeits dont know how to age them
>>946471
exactly
they age them because a coin that looks brand new looks fake
