Who doesn't know the feeling? You've found a bunch of nice copper coins, old cents, half cents, and Duits. They are still
legible but coin collectors turn their noses up at them because they are green or black, corroded, and sandy, and you're afraid to clean them
because it would remove the antique look.
There is a solution for this: PATIMEER ©
Detect has found a manufacturer who can supply PATIMEER in small handy pots. There is a green paste for copper coins and
an orange-brown paste for repatinating copper objects. The brown paste creates a darker effect. With one pot, you can
treat about 250 coins, and it is very economical to use.
We are preparing a short video to show the entire process.
1. Once you've purchased a pot, first try the product on a Dutch Stuiver (not a euro cent, but a real copper stuiver
from the guilder era.)
2. Clean the stuiver with a fine copper brush until it's completely bare. It feels like vandalism, but you'll have to bite the bullet.
3. A quick and thorough cleaning method is to wrap the coin in household foil (silver paper), put a scoop of caustic soda (drain cleaner) in a glass and pour hot water over it. Do
this outside as it emits nasty fumes, (do not inhale). Rinse with clean water and remove the coin from the foil, rinse again, and then
brush it with a fine copper brush until it's bare.
4. Then briefly heat the coin with a lighter, the heat ensures a fast action of the patimeering agent.
5. Dip a small cotton cloth in a very thin layer of Patimeer paste onto the coin and rub it in well.
6. After a few seconds, you'll see a patina layer appear. By rubbing it with a cloth, the high
areas become dark and the deeper parts remain light, making the image stand out beautifully and clearly.
7. Patimeer is not paint, but a substance that causes a chemical reaction with the bare copper, it's a rapid natural method
that would otherwise take years. The substance works into the coin and is not rub-off.
8. After a few days, the patina layer is permanent.
Note: the patimeering agent is not aggressive, but since you're working with copper and copper sulfide, it's advisable to wear rubber gloves when
you start. Duits and cents that are worn or eaten away can't be saved with this product. But you can always
do a test with a more or less worthless cent or duit. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
