Conservation · Silver alloy
Roman Coins
Treatment of corrosion products on Roman silver coins to make them legible as required by the 'Treasure Act 1996'.
-
Client
Private property
-
Period
Varying, but approximately 200 BC – 400 AD
-
Origin
British Museum
-
Duration
March to May 2018
Challenge
Treatment of corrosion products to make coins legible as required by the 'Treasure Act 1996'.
Approach
Although the coins are normally chemically cleaned and further mechanically treated, I conducted several experiments to speed up the process by working with a different chemical treatment method: using EDTA. This treatment produced very good results and ultimately saves considerable manual labor in the mechanical removal of corrosion products.
Outcome
The experimental EDTA treatment produced very good results and ultimately saves considerable manual labor in the mechanical removal of corrosion products. The coins were made legible according to the requirements of the Treasure Act 1996.
Techniques
- Chemical cleaning
- Mechanical treatment
- EDTA treatment
- Experimental methods
Materials
- Chemical cleaning agents
- EDTA
- Mechanical tools
Interested in conservation services?
Each project receives individual attention, with a treatment plan tailored to the specific needs of your object.