Cleaning and Preserving of Copper Coins C. Alton Hassell Department of Chemistry Baylor University

meeting follow up

Monday, February 11, 2002 Mount Mary College 2900 N. Menomonee River Parkway, Milwaukee, WI (Enter from 92nd Street)

DIRECTIONS

Antique copper-containing coins that are unidentifiable can be cleaned by an electrolytic method. The corrosion is removed, but the solid core is left intact. If the solid core is then readable, a useless coin has been resurrected. This talk will describe the method used and also describe a method to reduce tarnishing.

C. Alton Hassell is a native of Texas from the small town of Seagraves. His degrees are a B.S. in chemistry and physics from Baylor University (1969) and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Texas A&M University (1975). He was a postdoctoral research fellow at Texas A&M and at Baylor, where he served as assistant director of the First Year Chemistry program and as manager of the College of Science Learning Resources Center. At Baylor, he taught mathematics and physics, and he is presently teaching chemistry and archaeology. He also has taught at two junior colleges: Blinn Junior College and McLennan Community College. He is the author (or co-author) of many papers in chemical research and chemical education, and books on problem solving and lab manuals. His latest books are Chemical Investigations for Changing Times (8th Ed.) and the solutions manuals to Hill and Petrucciad, Restoration of Metals, and the use of beta radiography to study watermarks in antique books.

The February meeting was held at Mt. Mary College on an unusual Monday evening. Never the less the enthusiastic audience heard C. Alton Hassell of Baylor University tell about the cleaning and preserving of ancient copper coins. The discussion after the talk was long and lively. Everyone there had a good time.

In the top photo, Professor Hassell shows Stan Flashinski some of his ancient coins, before and after cleaning.