Can proofs be rescued?
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You also agree to follow these guidelines. You must agree to these rules to be a member of this forum. NO SPAM! Spam is deleted within minutes, no spam will ever be left in our community.
1. Post a front and back image of your coin with a specific question about what you’re seeing or asking about and one coin per topic.
2. Please remove coin from the holder unless it’s US or an official mint case or unless it is graded by a grading service.
3. Images should be taken by a camera or cell phone camera, we ask that members don’t use images through a microscope screen.
4. Always start your own topic, please don’t ask about your coin or post your coin in someone else’s coin topic.
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7. Always be respectful even if something makes you upset or you don’t agree with a member. You can always get a second opinion elsewhere. If you have an issue then politely ask an admin in an PM. PM’s are for issues, technical and personal, but not for coin questions (refer to number 5 on this list). Our community is not a soap box for complaining or drama, so please refrain from doing so here.[/size]
Can proofs be rescued?
I'm helping my mother in law look through her late husband's coin collection. Sadly, the coins were not stored well. Among other items, she has two type-2 1981 United states proof set and one type-1. While the coins were never taken from their cases, all the coins are quite discolored. My guess is that these coins are lost causes but decided to ask. Can discolored coin values be restored?
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
Can you please post some images of the sets so we can help.
Toned coins appeal to some collectors.
Toned coins appeal to some collectors.
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
You're right about not being properly stored. How were you able to determine type 1 or 2 (let alone the date) with the plastic so fogged and damaged?
Re: Can proofs be rescued?
Can't see all the coins well enough. However, the markings are clear enough on at least half the coins in each set. Also, having both types side by side makes it MUCH easier. ...also was using a loop!
Re: Can proofs be rescued?
Makes me sad to see their condition. My father in law also had several sets of silver ingots and the such. All pretty sad shape. Only worth now is their silver content.
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
You can add an image just select attachment tab, add files, select images, click open then wait for the green bar to go all the way to the right.
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
You need to remove them from this holder and see how much is on the holder and the coin and to better see the coins. I have removed coins from these but it's a careful task.
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
Do you know if they were immersed in water to do so much damage?Mlandri wrote:Makes me sad to see their condition. My father in law also had several sets of silver ingots and the such. All pretty sad shape. Only worth now is their silver content.
Re: Can proofs be rescued?
On close inspection, looks like grime. I don't see obvious corrosion. I've read that soaking coins in olive polis a safe way to remove the grime. True?
Re: Can proofs be rescued?
Hmm. Looks like grime not corrosion. I've read that soaking coins in olive oil is a safe way to remove grime. Is this true?
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
I've heard the same thing for encrusted or dirty coins but not for what ails your coins. If oil from finger prints can damage a BU coin imagine what olive oil can do! widegrin
Some people put coins in peroxide or acetone but different chemicals can affect copper or clad coins differently. Wait for others to weigh in. Someone here may have experience in what might be possible.
Some people put coins in peroxide or acetone but different chemicals can affect copper or clad coins differently. Wait for others to weigh in. Someone here may have experience in what might be possible.
Re: Can proofs be rescued?
@petespocket55: I don't believe that they were in water. Instead, they were stored in an old leaky garage for 20 years. Maybe equivalent in the end. That being said, the coins were in a sealed plastic case, so its also possible that the plastic case was degrading leading to coin discoloration. Perhaps I'm being too naive but I'm hoping that the discoloration is grime that can be removed.
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
Olive oil is used on coins that are at least 450 years old and are encrusted in dirt.
Anything younger and the coin's surface will be affected because the "patina" isn't thick enough to handle it.
That said, when a coin is already damaged, then the oil is not likely to damage it more. Olive oil is fantastic to remove PVC residue. As to anything else, well, it's an experiment. But, the coins appear to currently be face value. (Unless some are silver, then they are melt value.)
Anything younger and the coin's surface will be affected because the "patina" isn't thick enough to handle it.
That said, when a coin is already damaged, then the oil is not likely to damage it more. Olive oil is fantastic to remove PVC residue. As to anything else, well, it's an experiment. But, the coins appear to currently be face value. (Unless some are silver, then they are melt value.)
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
This is environmental damaged caused by hard water moisture, I am not sure how but looks like these were submerged in water for a while. It is a very similar look to a coin that has been in a cup holder of a car. Molecules are extremely small and this has corroded the surface of these coins and it's going to be difficult to "fix" them, IF they can be.
The coins are clad with copper and nickel and they are more difficult to restore than silver.
The coins are clad with copper and nickel and they are more difficult to restore than silver.
Re: Can proofs be rescued?
Appreciate the info. Yeah, no reason to be optimistic based on this feedback which is what I anticipated. I'll try the olive oil for grins and giggles just to see what (if anything) happens. Thanks for sharing your expertise and experience!
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
I would try it since they're face value as is and you can make them worth less than face unless you deface them. No pun intended.
Re: Can proofs be rescued?
Olive oil by itself, nothing. Olive oil + a little saltwater + electrolysis (D cell battery, a couple wires, and electrical tape), AMAZING! One of the pennies is almost completely clean. I don't think that the coins will ever get back to proof condition, but this was a really interesting/fun experiment.
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
And that's where some of those funky "experiment" coins we talk about, come from.
While they look better, close inspection will always reveal that they have been "altered". In numismatic terms, they are "damaged".
Nothing wrong with that as they were already damaged. But, they should never be passed on to others as anything else.
While they look better, close inspection will always reveal that they have been "altered". In numismatic terms, they are "damaged".
Nothing wrong with that as they were already damaged. But, they should never be passed on to others as anything else.
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
The coins will always be a proof, since proof is not a condition but results from being struck my specially prepared dies and struck more than once. So you got cleaned proofs that I would like to see images of.
Re: Can proofs be rescued?
@daniel: I'll give them an extra day. Once they're out, I'll post some pictures. I think that only the one penny referenced above will look presentable in the end. The other coins are looking much better but they will always be quite discolored.
@mhonzell: no plans to try selling these coins but appreciate the insight. Really, I'm just experimenting to determine how much these damaged coins can be rehabilitated.
@mhonzell: no plans to try selling these coins but appreciate the insight. Really, I'm just experimenting to determine how much these damaged coins can be rehabilitated.
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
:l Guess you could classify them as "Shipwreck" coins. They've been immersed in water for a period of time and restored through electrolysis.
PS. Daniel said it best... they will always be "Proofs" as that was determined by the process used to strike them.
PS. Daniel said it best... they will always be "Proofs" as that was determined by the process used to strike them.
Re: Can proofs be rescued?
See picture below. I set this up last night using olive oil and salt water. All that black goop and such came off of the coins.
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
As it turns out using aluminum for the cathode causes the aluminum to dissolve into a gray slurry.
Check out the results. I'm fairly confident that I bring these coin back to something resembling good condition if I continued working on them. However, it's not worth it I think. They'd be "cleaned" proofs.
Check out the results. I'm fairly confident that I bring these coin back to something resembling good condition if I continued working on them. However, it's not worth it I think. They'd be "cleaned" proofs.
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Re: Can proofs be rescued?
The only one that is worth restoring is the Susan B Anthony IF it is the Flat S mint mark variety, if this process hasn't mired the surface then it can safely be called restored and be sold.
Here's some images to compare your coins to viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7851&p=25842#p25842
Here's some images to compare your coins to viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7851&p=25842#p25842
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