Diesel - does any one use it.

[Tassie Daz]

On the way home from the "Tour down under" last week, we stopped in at a spot during our return to the home base. This spot has been around since the bullockies brought cattle and I think copper, down to the sea to be sent off to other places in the world......[I think that's right] Any way, thinking it might be worth while having a swing [any excuse will do] I cranked up the AT Pro and within 5 paces of the car was the first target. Another couple, and another target. For a little over an hour, I had bagged 3 old decimals [2 pennies and a half penny - well that's what I thought they were anyway] but they were so gunked up with oxide that they really were indistinguishable. Along with these was my first ring [Only a costume type ring I think but on the board, none-the-less.]
Deciding that the coins were going to fall to pieces no matter what I did to clean them, I chucked them into a small bath of diesel and let them soak for a week[more actually as the roo is still in it]. I went back time after time, and scraped and chipped at them to finally reveal a 1922 halfpenny, a 1911 Penny and a Roo penny so corroded that I don't think I'll get a date.
The point of the post is just to tell you all of the great job the diesel did to take off all the corrosion that had caked onto these coins over all those years.
Today I added a 1943 halfpenny in fantastic condition that was located around an old school house from the 1860's. [You never know where coins will bob up do you!]
Anyway, keep swinging

 

[Westaus]

Did you get any before and after pics by chance ?

 

[Tassie Daz]

Hi Westaus, It occurred to me that perhaps I should have taken a photo before and after but no I didn't take one. What I can do is try to find another coin at this spot and take one then. I'm sure there will be more coins at this spot. What I could do is ask you to imagine a penny, encrusted in green oxide so that it is about twice as thick is it should be. That's how these coins started out, and with soaking and periodical scraping with a Stanley knife to remove what was softened, I have been able to get them back to a reasonable "look". They wont ever pass as fine or very fine, or even UNC, but they are now recognizable. Sorry for the lack of photos but I have a hassle getting photos up loaded to this site.

 

[Westaus]

Thanks Tassie, I am curious because the green is usually Verdigris which is difficult to remove and treat so it doesn't come back. I am not too concerned with my high end stuff, but I have a lot of stuff I separate due to the Verdigris so if it removes it well it could be suitable for lower end coins ? Hence my thoughts.

If you need a hand with any photos uploads let me know.

 

[Tassie Daz]

I thought the green would be the oxide of the copper in the brass of the coin. Either way, the diesel seems to cut through that and as you scrape off the softened stuff you end up with a hard dark coating that then has to be scraped off with something sharp. As I said I used a Stanley knife but I guess you could use any number of things to do the job. I'm about to take the coins out of the diesel for the final time so when I've done that and wiped them down I'll see if I can get a photo loaded up for you.

 

[Tassie Daz]

There a five coins here. The 2 middle ones are from another source, but the three outer ones, the 2 pennies and the halfpenny are the ones that were heavily coated in green oxide. They have been soaked in diesel as the post suggests and then carefully scraped to remove the green gunk as it softens. The three are a KGV 1911 penny, an unrecognizable Roo penny and a 1922 KGV halfpenny. As I said before they will never reach collector status but they have cleaned up enough for me to be happy with their appearance and to get their years from them. Sorry about the quality of the pic - my little Olympus C120 doesn't take a close-up real well.

 

[Jaros]

Daz, in the Avatar which one is you mate?? :/ :/

 

[Tassie Daz]

Come on Jaros, don't you know the President of the Port Adelaide FC and the presenter of Sunrise on 7, the magnificent David Koch? So I'm the one with Duck's disease [me bums too close to the ground]

 

[Jaros]

Just teasin' Daz.

 

[Sandta]

WHO ??

 

[Sandta]

Just trickin

 

[Rowdy Relic]

Hey dad the roo penny puts it in the years of 1939 to 1952. Making it only a touch older than you lol

 

[Tassie Daz]

Hey Stu, cheekiness will get you nowhere. I cant make out the exact year but I think its the later coins just before 1966. So that puts me in the old fossil area. You finally decide to get onto the best forum in Australia ?