Cleaning a LC???

[jfines69]

Any suggestions on how to clean a LC and leave the petina??? I tried brasso and qtips on one and it cleaned really well except it removes the petina!!! I have tried warm soapy water and qtips but it doesn't clean as well as I would like!!! I have also used WD40 and qtips which really removes the corrosion and leaves the petina in good shape!!!
Thanks,
Jim

[mustbebob]

Try Goo Gone. It has workrd well for me for years. Some foreign matter can also be removed with pure acetone. There is also a prodct called 'Verdi-Gone' which works well also.

[atarian]

doesnt that kill the value of a coin?

[mustbebob]

None of the items listed affect the toning of the coin unless you misuse it, and don't perform the cleaning correctly. Actually, this would be considered conservation of a coin. There are no harsh acid based chemmicals that attack the metal itself. These steps only remove the gunk that accumulates on the devices of the coin such as grease, verdigras, and pvc remnants. It won't make it mint like again, but it will clan it up well enough so that you can see all of the devices on the coin.

[jcuve]

another word of caution: don't use goo-gone on BU coins. There isn't likely anything that would be on there that will come off anyway, but for whatever reason, if a BU coin sits in goo-gone for an hour or so, it will start to oddly and artificially mess with the tone of the coin.

[jfines69]

I have tried acetone but it doesn't really remove the corrosion that blocks inspection. Thanks for all the info.
Jim

[jcuve]

To anyone reading this experimenting on cleaning coins: be careful and test everything on non essential coins. Of course the safest bet is to leave the coins alone as the likelihood of accidental damage is high. Good luck!

[mustbebob]

I strongly agree with Jason's statement.

jfines69, nothing will remove the corrison without damaging the coin. The cleaning methods provided were for 'dirty and gunky' coins.

[BadThad]

When attempting conservation (never CLEAN a coin), always start with the polarity ladder:

1) distilled water
2) acetone
3) xylene

Never follow most of the (poor) advice given on the internet such as battery acid, baking soda and aluminum, etc. Every single one of those methods destroys the patina and the coin.

If the corrosion is light to moderate verdigris, my VERD-CARE™ product is the best thing on the market. It is the ONLY product that will remove verdigris without destroying the patina. It can be purchased through Wizard:

http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/verdi-care.html

[BadThad]

Try Goo Gone. It has workrd well for me for years. Some foreign matter can also be removed with pure acetone. There is also a prodct called 'Verdi-Gone' which works well also.

VERDI-GONE™ has been replaced with my more advanced product VERDI-CARE™.

Thanks for the plug Bob!

[BadThad]

I strongly agree with Jason's statement.

jfines69, nothing will remove the corrison without damaging the coin. The cleaning methods provided were for 'dirty and gunky' coins.

Not necessarily, but generally true. I've successfully conserved many coins without damage. Here's a VERDI-CARE™ test coin with amazing results.