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Patination of copper coins. How to Apply Patina to Copper Coins. What is patina? Patina on metal. Patina on coins Patina on silver coins

Often, after cleaning, the coin looks very bad, I would even say not really bad. This is mainly due to the fact that the so-called patina was destroyed and the coin remained in a “negligee”. Selling such a coin is very problematic. It needs to be prepared a little for sale (like a car), i.e. apply patina.

In principle, patination of copper coins is not very difficult. The main difficulty is to ensure that the acquired color resembles the natural one as much as possible. There are many ways to patina copper coins, each with its own pros and cons. I only use three methods. I'll tell you a little about them.

Patination of copper coins using manganese and copper sulfate. Many numismatists consider this method the most “ideal”, since the color of the coin can be made from red to dark brown, and this induced patina will be very similar to the natural one. Patination occurs as follows - add 3-4 grams of manganese and about 10 grams of copper sulfate to water heated to 90 degrees (0.5 liters). Mix everything and place coins in this solution. As the solution cools, warm it up a little. Every 5 minutes, turn the coins over and check their color. Make sure the color turns bright brown. The big advantage of this patination is that the color is beautiful and relatively resistant to washing off.

Patination of copper coins using sulfur ointment. “Real” numismatists despise this method, which is quite simple. Take a coin and lightly spread sulfur ointment on it with your fingers. All this must be done in lukewarm water. Water is needed to make the coloring process slower. The final color of the coin will range from dark brown to matte black. The plus is that the worst coin can be revived a little, but the minus is that the color is unnatural and the patina is very easily washed off. In order to make the patina natural, after patination with sulfur ointment, the coin must be rubbed with a soft cloth dipped in oil. Sometimes you can achieve a very nice color.

I really like to patina copper coins naturally, i.e. sun and air. I conducted the following experiment - I placed the coins, cleaned to their very “nakedness,” on the roof of the house. Every two weeks I turned over the coins. The coins were burned by the sun and washed by rain for four months. The result was normal - the color changed from bright red to dull brown. If the coins had been left in the open air for at least 7-8 months, they would have become perfect. I highly recommend this method for those who are not in a hurry. The result will be amazing.

Patination of coins (artificial aging) is used to give the coin an appearance consistent with the age of the coin. Patination may be required after cleaning the coin, when the original patina is damaged or completely destroyed, as well as to give the coin a more aesthetic appearance.

Depending on the material of the coin, there are a fairly large number of methods for applying patina to the coin. Below are the most common ones.

Patination of copper coins with sulfur ointment

To demonstrate various methods of applying patina, modern coins will be used - 1 US cent. This coin is minted from copper, like many ancient coins. And most importantly, you can try different patination methods on several completely identical coins and compare the results.

Sulfur ointment is applied to the coin and literally within a few seconds it turns dark. After treatment with sulfur ointment, its residues must be washed off with soapy water. The patina resulting from the sulfur ointment has a fairly rich black color. The resulting patina is not quite durable and if you rub the coin with felt it will wear off, this should be used to give the coin a more prominent and contrasting appearance.

Patination of copper coins with ammonia vapor

In order to apply patina to a coin using ammonia, place the coin in a closed container with ammonia vapor for 10-30 minutes, but do not allow the coin to come into contact with the liquid. From a technical point of view, everything is simple, but when it comes to implementation, some difficulties may arise.

While preparing materials for this article, 2 coins were hopelessly lost. To prevent this from happening, follow these simple recommendations:

  • Since ammonia has a strong odor, patination should be done in a closed jar or container.
  • The coin must either be hung, secured by the edge, or placed on any object inside the container, but not just placed, but on a cotton pad, this will allow the coin to become covered with patina evenly on both sides.
  • You need to pour a little ammonia (5-10 grams) into the bottom of the container; it is best to do this at the very end after the rest of the preparations and immediately close the lid.
  • Under no circumstances should you heat a closed container; this will cause condensation to form on the coin and cause a very uneven patina.

Vapors from ammonia literally cover the coin in just a few minutes with an even layer of patina of a pleasant brown color. The coin stops shining and looks very attractive. If the coin is left for several hours, the patina does not become more saturated, but pockets of corrosion begin to appear.

Patination of copper coins with potassium permanganate and copper sulfate

Patination of coins in a solution of copper sulfate and potassium permanganate gives quick results and a pleasant brown patina. A coin or other object must be immersed in a boiling solution for 1-2 minutes.

To prepare the solution, it is best to use distilled water, for one glass of water (200 ml) you need to add 1 gram of potassium permanganate and 1 gram of copper sulfate, mix the solution thoroughly and place it on the stove in a container that you don’t mind - after patination of the coins, you most likely will not be able to wash the container .

The longer the coin is in the solution, the darker the patina can be obtained - after 10 minutes the patina becomes almost black. The 1855 penny from the example spent about 1 minute in a boiling solution. Also shown is an image of the coin before cleaning it with Trilon-B.

Patination of silver coins with sulfur ointment

Silver coins do not need as much patina as copper coins, but silver coins often sparkle white after cleaning and require a patina to achieve an older appearance.

To apply patina to a silver coin with sulfur ointment, almost the same operations are carried out as on a copper coin, but there are differences. First, the coin should be cleaned in ammonia or citric acid so that the surface is clean and there are no uneven areas. Next, sulfur ointment is applied to the coin, applied in an even, thick layer. Since silver is much less chemically active than copper, patina forms much more slowly. To speed up the application of patina, the coin must be heated; at home, the best way to do this is to place the coin on a cotton pad or soft cotton cloth and heat it with a hairdryer. In 1-2 minutes the silver coin becomes completely dark. Afterwards, the coin must be washed with soap to remove any remaining ointment.

After applying the patina, the coin was rubbed with felt so that the patina on the protruding parts of the coin was a little erased and the relief was more clearly visible. For this coin, such an operation gives a more advantageous appearance, but for heavily worn coins it allows you to raise the relief and sometimes distinguish details that were not noticeable before.

Patination of silver coins with egg

This is the simplest method of patination; no reagents are needed at all; in addition, the process is not fast and you can always settle on the desired degree of patina.

To patina with an egg, you will need to hard-boil one chicken egg, when the egg has cooled to a temperature slightly above room temperature, you need to peel it and put it in a container (ordinary plastic with a lid), then put a silver coin or several in the container and close the lid. It is better not to use a hot egg as it is not convenient to clean and steam comes from the hot egg and condensation may form on the coin which will lead to uneven patina. It is worth noting that it is advisable to first clean the coin with ammonia or citric acid so that the surface is completely clean and the patina lies evenly.

These 5 stamps were patinated with egg for five hours in a closed container, during which the coin was turned over several times. A coin patinated with egg produces a very specific patina, the so-called rainbow, it is very durable and shimmers in different colors depending on the viewing angle.

Patination of bronze/brass coins by electrolysis

In most cases, bronze or brass coins do not need additional patina, this is due to the fact that they are naturally quickly covered with a strong protective film of oxides and are perfectly preserved in this form.

But sometimes, during the cleaning process or when stored for a long time in the ground or in improper conditions, coins become covered with uneven spots with a patina of different colors. In other words, when a brass coin with good relief does not look beautiful, you can try to cover it with a patina using electrolysis.

These five kopecks are a dug coin; oxides of uneven color have formed on it in the ground over decades. Electrolysis was used to give it an even patina. A soda solution was used as an electrolyte, the current source was a charger for a car battery (current 2 A), a coin was attached to “-”, a sacrificial coin was attached to “+” (about the same nickel, it is important that the metal was the same , the same as the coin being processed). Patina application time is 2 minutes. After electrolysis, the coin was ground in soda paste.

Everyone knows that collecting is a rather meticulous activity. Absolutely every numismatist can spend weeks looking for the coin he needs in a suitable condition, but unfortunately, a small number of ancient coins are in satisfactory condition.

And therefore, you often have to buy coins that do not meet your expectations. Because of this problem, the numismatist community has found several techniques to give copper coins the desired appearance.

When and why is it necessary to patina copper coins?

There are several reasons why numismatists patina coins:

  1. The coin was purchased or found in poor condition. For example, there are now quite a lot of copper pennies on the market that were dug up using a metal detector. In this case, pockets of corrosion will form on the “copper” and must be removed. There are cases where the find already has a beautiful patina, but this is rather the exception. This greatly depends on the soil and the place where it was found.
  2. The second reason for the manipulation is the ignorance of the previous owners of the value of the preserved patina. Most often it is erased in attempts to add shine. Or it is thrown into acid, after which its color turns yellow-orange.
  3. Increase in cost. There is no doubt that a copper coin with a brown patina will be more interesting to the buyer than an identical copy covered with green spots. At first glance, their safety is the same, but people are willing to overpay a little for the appearance.

Patination is the artificial aging of objects. It is carried out by a chemical reaction, during which a film or plaque is formed.

Today we will tell you in detail about the best methods and instructions for applying patina. Do not think that this is a simple task; in the process you need to maintain the proportions of substances, otherwise you may lose a rare coin forever.

Recipes for patination of copper coins at home

We will give you the best recipes for patination of coins yourself. If you want to achieve a decent result, then do not be lazy to prepare the material in advance.

A copper penny of the Russian Empire in need of cleaning

These words mean cleaning from oxides and various metal build-ups.

We advise you to first perform this procedure on inexpensive copies in order to practice a little. Don't be upset if something doesn't work out for you. It is difficult to achieve the desired result the first time. All comes with experience.

Sulfuric ointment

Patination with sulfur ointment is not the best option for collectors because it will easily rub off even with a sponge.

The color also cannot be called natural; it will have a gray tint.

The technology is quite simple and is carried out in three stages:

  • Apply sulfur ointment to a coin immersed in warm water,
  • Wait until it gets the color you want.
  • Wash off any remaining ointment with soapy water.

Warm water is necessary for the reaction to proceed slowly. This will help you choose the color tone more accurately.

Using sulfur ointment using the example of a 2009 copper cent

The only advantage of using sulfur ointment is the simplicity and speed of the appearance of patina.

Manganese and copper sulfate

If you want the coin to be covered with a strong, uniform patina, then the method using manganese and copper sulfate is best suited. It will give the most natural color to the product. The instructions for preparing the solution are not complicated.

A clear example of using a solution of manganese and vitriol

In total, you will need 3-4 grams of manganese, 10 grams of copper sulfate and half a liter of water heated to 90 degrees Celsius. During patination, do not forget to turn the coin over, otherwise the sides will be different in color.

Try to maintain proportions, otherwise you may not only not improve, but also lose your relief forever.

Also make sure to maintain the temperature, so don’t forget to heat the solution from time to time. There is no exact time frame for the coin’s stay in the solution; you just need to wait until the patina forms evenly.

Conclusion

After reading our article, you can give your copper coins a beautiful antique look on your own.

The main thing is not to be afraid to experiment and try each of the methods described above.

So you can compare the results yourself. Remember that the methods described are only suitable for copper coins; other alloys require different solutions.

Video: Patination or aging of copper coins

The protective film on metal is called patina. Patination of coins gives them an antique appearance. We can say that this is artificial aging. Patination is often applied after cleaning coins, since the original protective film can be damaged or completely destroyed. How to apply patina to a copper coin at home, and what is needed for this?

Patination methods

In order to give coins an aesthetic appearance and increase the selling price, several methods of applying patina are used.

Coin before and after applying patina

Patination of copper coins can be done at home using:

  • ammonia;
  • sulfur ointment;
  • manganese and copper sulfate;
  • sodium hyposulfite;
  • gas stove;
  • ammonia.

1) If you want to give a copper coin a nice brown color, you can use ammonia for patination. To do this, place the coin in a closed container with alcohol vapor, but the coin should not touch the liquid. To do this, hang or place the coin so that all its sides can be covered with an even film. A closed container should not be heated as condensation may form, which will lead to uneven patination. Leave the coin to steam for just a few minutes, do not overcook.

2) In order to give the coins a dark brown color, apply sulfur ointment to it, rubbing in thoroughly. But do it underwater. When the coin begins to darken a little, remove it from the water. Dry well with a napkin, as if you do not remove all the sulfur ointment, the coin may turn black. After all the procedures, leave it alone for two days, then polish it with Vaseline oil.

3) Applying a patina to copper coins using manganese or copper sulfate is a good way to achieve a light or dark brown color. To do this, make a solution of half a liter of water, three grams of manganese, 30 grams of vitriol. Heat it to 90 degrees, put coins in the solution for about five minutes, but after every minute turn them over to the other side. Take it out, look at the color, if it’s pale, add more. Once you have achieved the desired shade, rub the coin thoroughly with your fingers.

4) To obtain a bronze color, use sodium hyposulfite. Dip a coin into it for a few seconds and wipe well with a napkin.

5) A copper coin can be heated with gas. Hold the coin with a clip and heat it until golden brown, then apply baby cream using your fingers. The coin will be covered with a light brown film.

6) Another way to get a light brown patina is more complex. To do this you will need a rust neutralizer and pieces of copper. We wait until the color of the copper turns bluish-green, after which we take it out of the neutralizer and put coins in it. Rinse the coin with water and apply sulfur ointment.

7) You can patina a coin using ammonia. To do this, take a container and pour ammonia into the bottom. Place a glass or glass, place a cotton pad on top, and a coin on it. The coin should not touch ammonia; it will patina in the vapor. Be sure to close the container. After fifteen minutes, turn the coin over to the other side.

Applying patina correctly requires skill. After several attempts, you will already know how to achieve the desired effect. Patinated coins are cheaper than products with a “original” protective film, so patina coins only after its film is destroyed or damaged.

How to recognize a patinated coin?

Artificial patina can be recognized if:

  • the color applied unevenly;
  • the film is applied over scratches and damage;
  • the shades turned out unnatural;
  • the patina did not color the product in the recesses;
  • superficial coloring.

With the help of patination, copper coins will again take on the appearance of antique coins in various shades.

Patina is a coating on the surface of a coin that is formed as a result of the reaction of the metal with the external environment. The patina on an antique coin emphasizes its ancient origins, makes the coin appear more natural, and most often increases its value. Regarding the increase in value, everything is not so simple here and each case must be considered separately. In some cases, patina, on the contrary, can significantly reduce the price of a coin. Of course, in this case we are talking about natural patina.

Patina is a natural process of oxidation of metal. This process is somewhat similar to the appearance of rust on iron. But there is a small nuance in this comparison. The natural patina on a coin can form over a long period of time, decades, often centuries. Such oxidation not only guarantees the coin's authenticity, but also prevents the metal from being completely destroyed by corrosion. In addition, the patina indicates that no mechanical actions were performed on the coin, it was not cleaned, the relief was not restored, and it was preserved in its original form.

In general, the color of a patina depends on many factors, including the thickness of the oxidation and the time at which the patina began to form. Coins made from the same metal can be coated with film in different ways. Also, the color and shade may depend on how often the coin was in unprotected hands, how it was minted, how it was stored, whether it had contact with salt water, whether it survived exposure to elevated temperatures (for example, a fire) and much more. There are several types of patina: loose or “wild”, iridescent, iridescent, “bullet”.

Patina color

Can vary greatly on copper coins. Black or dark brown is a reaction to copper oxide. The green and blue patina is caused by copper sulfides or sulfates. Powdery green or green-blue spots on a coin are the so-called “bronze disease”. In this case, the patina contains hydrochloric acid. This oxidation can, over time, completely destroy the flatness of the coin. In addition, the “bronze disease” can spread to other coins, so such specimens should be stored separately.

Ancient bronze coins may have a beautiful sandy or light brown patina. This coating appears due to grains of silicic acid salt contained in soil rich in sand or directly in the sand.

Nickel coins are subject to little patina. The color of the patina on nickel is light gray, sometimes light blue or even slightly golden.

There is also the term “cabinet patina”, which has become widespread mainly in Russia. “Cabinet” in pre-revolutionary Russia was a special wooden cabinet for storing coins. Vapors from wood and various varnishes provoked the formation of patina on collectibles.