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I finally wrecked a Roman coin cleaning it last week
Ngl, I was trying to clean a bronze coin from a dig near Chester in the UK, and I used a toothbrush with too much water. The patina just flaked right off, leaving this ugly bare metal spot. Has anyone else ruined a find by being too aggressive with cleaning?
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jake_owens1mo ago
Heard a mate of mine did the exact same thing with a silver denarius he found near Hadrian's Wall - scrubbed it with baking soda and a toothbrush, thinking he was being thorough. The details just vanished, leaving this weird shiny mess that looked more like a button than a Roman coin. He still brings it up whenever anyone talks about cleaning finds, shaking his head like it just happened yesterday.
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price.tara1mo ago
Use a soft toothbrush and just water, that's all you need for most dirt. The real trick is to soak it in distilled water for a few days first, changing the water each day, then gently brush under a stream of cool tap water. @jake_owens that shiny mess happens because baking soda is too abrasive and scrubs off the patina, which holds the details. If you really want to stabilize a coin, a dab of olive oil and a very soft cloth is safer, but only if you're positive it's not a rare piece.
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xena_brown501mo ago
Actually, that olive oil tip has its own risks (and I learned this the hard way). Olive oil can go rancid over time, leaving a sticky residue that traps dirt and actually eats away at the bronze if you're not careful. Better to use a conservation-grade wax or just leave the coin dry after distilled water soaks. That silver denarius story jake_owens mentioned is the perfect example - once you scrub off that patina, you're basically stuck with a blank button. The really old copper alloys from the UK are especially fragile because the ground conditions there create that thin, powdery green patina that just falls apart with any water pressure (ask me how I know, ha).
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