1/12 anna 1835 die axis orientation.. (should i clean her also?)

[$and€r]

Recently i acquired some BI coins and noticed that this 1/12 Anna 1835 had a different orientation then the rest.. where varieties like orientation back then normal? and should i try to clean this coin? Maybe an acetone bath? 

[Figleaf]

An acetone bath is quite safe for metal, but acetone burns rather enthusiastically. It solves all kind of chemicals, especially glue. If you suspect the goo on your coin is mud, soapy water followed by the wooden toothpick treatment will work well, without attacking the metal. both methods can create clean spots. Dry well after cleaning.

Peter

[Coinsforever]

Yes right side photo shows coins with Axis upside down .



Cheers

[cmerc]

Nice coins.  I agree with Peter about acetone bath.  Soak it overnight in acetone and watch gluey stuff dissolve away. 

I don't recommend soap water, drying (patting or wiping), or toothpick treatment unless you are an expert.  This coin is fairly common and you can probably get an AU-Unc at an affordable price. 

[Figleaf]

I don't recommend soap water, drying (patting or wiping), or toothpick treatment unless you are an expert.

How so? Water does nothing to metal in the short run (which is why you should dry well.) If it's the drying you are afraid of, use your wife's hair dryer. It will dry thoroughly and in seconds. However, even if you dry in the sun or on a CV element, there is little chance of damage. You just don't want to put a wet coin ia a sealed carton.

Soap does nothing to metal either, but it will dissolve fatty substances. If the goo on the coin is chemical, acetone is fine, but it won't do much against caked mud. It's not clear from the pic what it is, but coins are more often covered in mud than in chemicals.

A wooden toothpick (it is and-and, not either-or) is softer than copper, so it is impossible to make scratches. The toothpick is for thick and stubborn dirt. The water will only reach the upper layer, so the toothpick speeds things up considerably by removing the upper layer and getting to the stuff underneath.

I think there's a pretty well preserved coin underneath the goo.

Peter

[cmerc]

If it's the drying you are afraid of, use your wife's hair dryer.

I am not yet married

I guess you are right, maybe soap water + wooden toothpick may do the coin some good.  I have done it myself in the past, but have never felt comfortable cleaning my coins.  Just a personal preference: cleaning should be achieved by soaking alone, avoid touching the coin surface with anything but fluids. 

[FosseWay]

In the absence of a wife, and therefore a hairdryer, tungsten lightbulbs will do - they emit plenty of heat.

On the alignment, variations seem to be so common that they can barely be classed as errors. On the basis of my EIC coins, 0º alignment is the commoner. All of mine are 0º apart from:

¼ anna 1835 Bombay (motto distant from edge)
¼ anna 1835 Bombay (motto close to edge)
¼ anna 1835 Calcutta (motto close to edge)
¼ anna 1858 Heaton
¼ anna 1858 Watt

My 1848 1/12 anna is 0º, incidentally.

[$and€r]

Thanks for the replies..

I did try an soak and toothpick treatment.. i paid €0,50 for it so if i messed it up then it was not a big deal.. After closer inspection i noticed that someone before me tried to clean the coin..  Also some rust or something else showed up underneath the black stuff.. 

[@josephjk]

That cleaned up nicely, looks like a different coin

[Figleaf]

Good job. Indeed some clean spots, but already quite an improvement. If you have hit a layer of oxydation (it doesn't matter if it is copper oxyde or something else), I would recommend that you do an olive oil soak, combined with regular wooden toothpick attacks . The olive oil should loosen the rust and the toothpick should again speed things up.

A hot-cold treatment is much quicker. Cook the coin, plunge it in ice cold water (use a sieve, not your fingers) and give it the wooden toothpick tickle. Cooking the coin will expand it slightly, but the rust will expand at a different rate. By cooling it quickly, the rust will crack and give the toothpick a chance. The treatment is in principle safe for your coin, as it is made of 100% solid copper. Your only risk is major impurities in the metal. You don't run that risk with the olive oil bath, but it takes much longer.

Maybe it's the lighting, but it looks like you scored a neat die crack at 5 o'clock.

Peter