1843 half farthing

[tom_jordan91]

I have a Queen Victoria half farthing dated 1843. The condition is poor because the coin is green around the edges. The words 'Half Farthing' can still be read easily and the date can still be easily read too. On the obverse there is some green around the head. The head itself looks fairly worn but its hard to tell because of the green. Is there any way of removing the green from the coin? Would just simply cleaning it remove this? ( All my coins are only for display and I do not intend of selling any of them unless I have more than necessary so I do not particularly mind if I reduce the value slightly by cleaning.) Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Peter]

I'm afraid the dreaded GREEN is with you for life (Verdigris)

It will also spread to other copper coins....so weedle the little rascal out.

The green patina is a chemical reaction and is brought on by humidity etc.

You may notice the green patina on some domed buildings....this is because Architects like to specifying a copper covering

which turns green...and looks quite attractive.....not on coins though

[tom_jordan91]

Ok, thanks for your help

[Gary D]

I understood that cleaning with lighter fuel was supposed to do the trick. If you try it let us know if it works.

[TerryT]

Try putting it in penetrating oil (the kind that is used to loosen nuts from bolts), for 5 minutes, then use a toothbrush. The brush won't scratch copper. If it doesn't come off, try another 5 minutes. Sometimes when the rust comes off there may be some pitting underneath and if you soak it too long the colour will start to change. Don't try it on silver.

[planz666]

I thought that cleaning was not an option with any coins?surely a toothbrush might cause damage?or is it a case of gambling that to acheive a better definition?

[Geordie582]

The person that comes up with a sure way to get rid of verdigris will be worth a fortune!

[Gary]

I agree with planz666, using a toothbrush is not advisable on any type of coin. A toothbrush is made of nylon and even a toothbrush which is considered soft will leave tiny sractches. Have a look at the bristles of a toothbrush under a x10 magnifiying glass and you will see hundreds of sharp edges! If you must use a brush, I reccommend a good quality, natural hair artists brush with the bristles cut back short to stiffen them up.

As for verdigris- If it has not reached the stage of actualy eating away at the coin, I find a good remedy is Contact Spray. This spray is used in the electrical industry to remove moisture and to clean and protect copper connections. It works quite well on copper coins and can prove usefull for bronze. It does not alter the patina or colour of the coin. The coin can be left soaking for as long as you want. The use of a toothpick either soaked with water or again with contact spray can then be used to carefully scrap away stubbon spots of verdigris. I say carefully because even a softwood toothpick can remove the patina from a copper coin if you are not carefull. Copper is a soft metal, bronze is a bit harder.

For bronze coins, try soaking the coin in water for a few hours before putting it in the contact spray. I find that most coins with verdigris have already been removed from the source of moisture, consequently the verdigris has dried out and gone hard. Soaking it in water for a while will soften it up before soaking it in contact spray. Do not soak copper (pre 1860) coins in water as this will cause them to loose their sheen and become dull and matt.

After having said this, please try it on worthless coins first and if you are not pleased with the results, dont try it on valuable coins and then place the blame on me because you dont like the results.

[tom_jordan91]

Hi, i tried the lighter fuel and the penetrating oil but neither worked. Thanks for your help anyway!

[simon]

Hi

If you just found a (silver) roman coin and cannot make out any details on it just wash it with water and a tooth-brush. If that still doesn't work put the coin in a glass filled with oil. The oil has the effect to out the water (and the dirt) from the coin.

You may leave the coin in there for months without any harm!

I don't know if you should try it with a copper-coin...?

Another interesting topic would be to clean the coin with a laser:

Laser cleaning the Abergavenny hoard

[TomGoodheart]

COOL!!!

Hey Chris - any chance of Predecimal stocking some lasers!?

[Peter]

I'll take one.

[simon]

Me too!