I Cleaned It

[ozjohn]

Last week I asked about cleaning a 1913 half crown. After a week of dithering I decided to do it. I was cleaned with bicarb of soda dissolved in boiling water in a bowl with aluminum foil in the bottom of the bowl. The pictures of the cleaned coin are included. Do I clean the coin some more or leave as is?

[Andriulis]

In my opinion it's a bit worse than it was previously. I would say - it needs more cleaning... IMHO

[ozjohn]

I think the finished result is better than the photos. However I think you maybe right about needing more cleaning.

[ChKy]

Would never clean an old silver coin bearing natural toning.

[ozjohn]

Normally I would agree with you trouble is you could not see the coin underneath. One thing it has revealed is the coin's true grading. I have not shown the milling of the coin but it is crisp as the day it was minted and given the difficulty of grading KGV coins this is a very good guide.

[pies]

I would not clean it any more

[ozjohn]

This is the other end of scale.

[Peckris]

I would rate it GEF myself judging from the top of his ear.

It's definitely improved - the next step would be a 10 second dip in Goddards, if you decide that's the way to go.

[azda]

Just curious how you Managed to clean it when it seems to be in a slab? Your original picture is unslabbed and the picture just above Pecks reply is slabbed

Edited June 1, 2014 by azda

[rpeddie]

think the first picture is the new one he has tried to clean and the second is one that he/another has cleaned in the past and is possibly what he would have liked the outcome of the first to be?

i.e. would like the 1st to be like the second or thinks the second went too far with polishing

[ozjohn]

Exactly the other coin I showed I think has been over cleaned and it was not the same coin.. Not badly cleaned but it has removed all of the toning. What I am trying to achieve is a compromise. Also one reply notes wear on the ear. That's fine but there is no wear on the eyebrow. I suspect the ear was not struck up initially. As I said previously the milling on the coin is pristine. Of course this is difficult to determine for sure but I think the grading is some where in the MS area,

[rpeddie]

i like the half crown as it is not i wouldn't do anything more to it

for me the risk of messing it up wouldn't be worth it as its a good grade for that date

You have the quality at the moment and might mess it up because you prefer it to be shiny(or lustrous as one might put it )

one of my best grade GV half crowns(IMO) is one which is almost as dark as your last one, luster is not something that personally bothers me or would put me off paying a good price for a good grade coin

[RLC35]

I would rate it GEF myself judging from the top of his ear.

It's definitely improved - the next step would be a 10 second dip in Goddards, if you decide that's the way to go.

I agree...a quick dip would probably clear up most of the "darkening" still present on the coin.

[azda]

Exactly the other coin I showed I think has been over cleaned and it was not the same coin.. Not badly cleaned but it has removed all of the toning. What I am trying to achieve is a compromise. Also one reply notes wear on the ear. That's fine but there is no wear on the eyebrow. I suspect the ear was not struck up initially. As I said previously the milling on the coin is pristine. Of course this is difficult to determine for sure but I think the grading is some where in the MS area,

We don't really do MS grades here, good old fashioned EFs or UNCs etc, Peck gave it a GEF though which i think would be about an AU American grade, but problem being that its been cleaned and perhaps dipped now that the TPGs can recognise this, so it might be down to XF by now if it were sent to a TPG. They'd stick that on the Label also i believe.

Its a bit like the Black Death was, its branded unclean and stick a large X On it lol

[Peter]

http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=178198&whichpage=1

This is an interesting thread from Coin community regarding an 1915 shilling.

Tom(Richard) and I are saying what we see.

Any input/comments?

[RLC35]

http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=178198&whichpage=1

This is an interesting thread from Coin community regarding an 1915 shilling.

Tom(Richard) and I are saying what we see.

Any input/comments?

I think the guy who suggested GVF to EF is pretty close! The Kings crown has a full diamond, and 8 strong pearls (which notes EF)but their are lots of surface wear around the brow, mustache, and cape to adjust down from EF...IMHO!

[azda]

NVF for me but i laughed when the owner said "i'm sending to PCGS and it better come back as AU at least" sorry, but it has'nt a chance of getting that grade. PCGS Grade, probably XF

[ozjohn]

I gave the coin some more time in the bicarb of soda/ aluminium foil bath and I am pleased with the result. Most of the heavy toning has gone while the coin still retains good eye appeal. I am pleased with the result. On reflection the bicarb of soda/aluminum foil bath is a fairly gentle process as it does not contain sulfuric acid as many proprietary silver dip preparations do. The process involves removing the sulfur from the silver sulfide (the toning) and converting it back into silver metal and the aluminium in the foil is converted into aluminium sulfide.

[Peckris]

http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=178198&whichpage=1

This is an interesting thread from Coin community regarding an 1915 shilling.

Tom(Richard) and I are saying what we see.

Any input/comments?

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with wear patterns on Oz coins, but I'd say that particular coin wouldn't make EF imo. GVF to NEF would be my personal ballpark.

[Peckris]

I gave the coin some more time in the bicarb of soda/ aluminium foil bath and I am pleased with the result. Most of the heavy toning has gone while the coin still retains good eye appeal. I am pleased with the result. On reflection the bicarb of soda/aluminum foil bath is a fairly gentle process as it does not contain sulfuric acid as many proprietary silver dip preparations do. The process involves removing the sulfur from the silver sulfide (the toning) and converting it back into silver metal and the aluminium in the foil is converted into aluminium sulfide.

You've done well there. The coin now has good eye appeal. I'd rate it GEF/AUNC, not bad for a scarce date.

[azda]

Your problem is now that the toning is seen in and around the legend but not in the fields, those now look too clean. Your pictures are'nt the best and you've probably taken them indoors under artificial light which does'nt really help when asessiing the coin, but thats my opinion from what i can see

[Peter]

Ozjohn

That certainly looks better.

Nice coin .

When you started off it wasn't nice.

[Nordle11]

It's definitely a lot better than you first started out with it!

Nice job

[VickySilver]

That electrolysis is very dangerous in that the lustre can be lost and occasionally the surface to deteriorate slightly - easy does it...

Hard to tell from the pictures what the surfaces actually look like, but appears overall improved to me as well.

[ozjohn]

Thanks for all the replies. On the whole they seem to be positive which gives me confidence I have done the right thing in this case. I hasten to add I would not embark on cleaning coins lightly but in this case I think it was the right thing.