More weird finds from the Goldfields

[scottlucky]

hi
not sure but I think it could be a copper token penny.
I found one 1855 and tried to clean it with soapy water!!
similar result!!
problem is as I read on this forum every method you try to clean one of those suckers causes a chemical reaction with the copper ( cannot be reversed )
next one I find ( ?? fingers crossed ) I will keep in its natural state ie dry
clean it with a match head to get off the surface junk.

easy after the event!!

nice find though

whats the other side look like.

Scotty

 

[ColinD]

Hi Scotty, just clean your tokens with Olive oil and cotton buds, that what I do. I kicked the cat because the date was 1861 and we need 1869 for the oldest coin thread.
You can go from this...

To this, just use Olive Oil

 

[Goldpick]

Definitely from 1869 I reckon, cough, cough, wink, wink.

I used to apply olive oil to my copper coins, though rarely do it these days. Just a wash and clean down with a microfibre cloth leaves what is usually a pretty thick green patina fully intact. The olive oil does tend to bring out the detail on the coin a lot better for photos, coins can be pretty hard to photograph at the best of times trying to get the best angle and lighting.

Once the coins are thoroughly dried, they are mounted in mylar coin slips to help reduce further oxidation from the elements. Considering many of these coins have been sitting in damp ground for 150 years+, a little water for cleaning them shouldn't hurt them, as long as they are dried properly afterwards.

One particular issue I have in my area is the coins seem to get a layer of black residue over the top of the patina, and is probably related to the pine trees. It is reasonably hard to remove, but I think it actually helps to preserve the British coins. It is usually pot luck on whether the Australian pre-decimals will be pulled from the ground in the same state, usually they are fine one side, and crusty on the obverse.

 

[ColinD]

The soil around here can leave coins with a sort of crust, usually on one side and I find the oil helps soften it down. Sometimes they are just toasted Silvers though come out looking like they were dropped yesterday. I think I will start carrying one of those Foo Foo bottles and try giving a quick clean the second it comes out, see if that helps, but I doubt it, I think it is the soil. If you look at the date above you can see the hard crusty spots that even after an oil and rub (ooer :8 ) are still solid and will need careful removing. That token above is cleaner now will have to re-photo it.

 

[ColinD]

One of my top bucket list items is a Cricket Buckle, I'm a community coach, season's first training session starts this Friday, if this is a Cricket Buckle you will hear me shouting Eureka as far as N.S.W.
Log splitter and other wood felling bits, couple of half pennies, saw early Vic on one of them, thimble, clock part and more old chain. New place, seems like another iron nail graveyard.

 

[B5MECH]

8) Aww mystery coins, suspense 8) 186???

 

[Sandta]

Gonna need a bit of a clean up
Looking forward to the unveiling

 

[treasureman]

Where's the gold nugget you say you find ? Pretty exciting thread to watch .

 

[ColinD]

 

[ColinD]

Defo a Cricket Buckle so I'm well chuffed, my first one. I can see some wickets and crossed bats.
Coins are 1861 and 1903. Thimble has a nice pattern on it, think it is silver.
Wife is spring cleaning and I'm hiding to avoid more jobs
Will get some pics up later.

 

[ColinD]

Being hassled to mow the nature strip
Not to bad after first little clean

 

[ColinD]

Nature strip... meh

Pretty toasted, but I'll keep plodding away with the cleaning, still chuffed just to have found one.

 

[treasureman]

Very nice Colin . Must be thrilling for you

 

[Goldpick]

Well done on the cricket buckle Colin, that was on my bucket list earlier this year as well, and was also over the moon to eventually find one. They don't alway crop up where you might expect them.

 

[ColinD]

Back to the site of the cricket buckle. couple of pennies, Chinese coin, little silver coin and a token
2 little brooches, one with a horseshoe the other needs a clean to see what it is, a spoon, nice axehead couple of big iron spikes, loads of wotsits and annoyingly a heap of washers that gave off a good coin signal and had to be dug. Great couple of hours out in the fresh air.

 

[ColinD]

Professor Holloway Token so another first for me. Pennies 1891, 1884, Chinese coin in good condition, little silver brooch... but I have never seen a silver so toasted, WTF, all bubbled little sixpence, looks like it might be 1940's ish, hard to tell, did they have a high content of poorer metal?

 

[ColinD]

 

[Sandta]

Well done Col
Professor Holloway looks good whats the other side look like?
Your one up on me with the Chinese coin.... Im yet to find one those

 

[ColinD]

I think the Chinese coins are quite common around here, still get a buzz finding one though. It's all about location, seriously it's 1000% easier to find a 1860's Vic penny around here than a Roo one, the population difference between the goldrush era and the last 70/80 years here is huge. Even my little town used to have 5 churches, now it has 1 and that's typical for the area.
edit to add: This area is being expanded, it's a shame to think how much history and historical stuff is going to be built on top of, the population of this area will at least double again.

 

[ColinD]

Any ideas?