Half Cent Connundrum; To Oil, or Not to Oil?

[Frank]

Here's one of my late-last year acquisitions...a cool 1806 ½¢.

I could tell from the sellers' pictures there was some sort of doo doo on her...but being the ever-optimistic Numismatist that I am I bought it for $27.50.

Judging from the aforementioned sellers' pictures...I could also see some pretty heavy-duty detail under all that mess.

Original Pictures (modified by me, so as not to infringe):



Whatever the substance is, it breaks 'clean'... in this instance meaning the edges are sharp. Which to me puts it in the resin (natural or not) category.

Now after soaking her in EVOO for about two weeks, there's little progress if any. Should I just leave it soak for a few months (had to do this with an 1804 I owned previously), or might there be another technique some of you may know to speed up the process?

[GrumpyEd]

Tough call.

I think I'd look at any spot where it comes off, if the surface is messed up or the toning comes off with it then I'd get brutal. Flame it with a butane torch and see if it burns off. Then scrub it brutally and try to retone it.

If it still has toning where it flakes then I'd be gentle but I'm not sure that there is a gentle way to get it off.

In any case, you're probably mostly trying to uncover the hidden details. It's already a problem coin probably from the rim dent alone.

[Petespockets55]

I wonder if an ultrasonic cleaner would help?
Someone here has had some success with using one on occasion.

[jfines69]

That is a tough one Frank... Looks almost like a pine resin??? Coin is not to bad for 212 years old... Like you said there are some details under the coating... There is some pitting in the exposed areas... Have you tried acetone at all??? What would the value be if all the gunk was removed??? If it could be fairly high then maybe have a TPG do the restoration and conservation???

[Frank]

That is a tough one Frank... Looks almost like a pine resin???

That's EXACTLY what my thinking was too. Something someone long ago put over it to preserve it in some way. I remember hearing of how people also used lacquer to coat coins back in the day...but I'm 99.9% sure this isn't that. I have tried acetone, for a short period of time. FAR too nervous about submersing for anything over a few hours!

There IS mad detail under it...in hand it's especially obvious. Thanks all for your...dare I say it...2¢

[jfines69]

That's EXACTLY what my thinking was too. Something someone long ago put over it to preserve it in some way. I remember hearing of how people also used lacquer to coat coins back in the day...but I'm 99.9% sure this isn't that. I have tried acetone, for a short period of time. FAR too nervous about submersing for anything over a few hours!

There IS mad detail under it...in hand it's especially obvious. Thanks all for your...dare I say it...2¢

I can see there is detail there by the areas showing thru... If it were lacquer the acetone would have taken off quickly... Another reason I am thinking pine resin is when the resin ages, especially old time resins, they are near impossible to remove from anything... You could try gasoline on a qtip just don't try that in the house The gasoline can dissolve some of the older resins!!!

[Frank]

You could try gasoline on a qtip just don't try that in the house The gasoline can dissolve some of the older resins!!!

Good call. I also saw an article where something along the lines of WD-40 might do the trick too.

[makecents]

I hope you find a way to clean it up! It would be cool to see how nice it looks underneath.

[jfines69]

Good call. I also saw an article where something along the lines of WD-40 might do the trick too.

WD-40 could help... Any thing you try is going to take a while... That stuff looks like it has been on the coin since 1810