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Gerry[_2_] Gerry[_2_] is offline
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Default Removing Lead Solder From Gold Coin (2nd try)

On Aug 6, 10:57*am, Gerry wrote:
On Aug 6, 7:51*am, Joe wrote:



(I tried posting this last night from home, but was probably stymied
by the fact that I have changed my system date to prevent W7 from
crashing. Apologies if this is a repeat.)


On another list I read (about coining), someone asked if it is
possible to remove some lead solder from a gold coin. I thought of
using an acid that would dissolve the tin and lead, but what would
that be? Also, would any such acid leach out the alloying metal from
the gold, and would that change the color of the coin?


The coin is a 2 1/2 dollar US piece, in otherwise good condition, so
abrasive removal would probably not be a good option.


I'm not involved in this, but it seems to be an interesting problem,
and if anyone has a workable solution, I'll be glad to pass it on
(with attribution) to the OP.


Thanks,
Joe


Seems like metallic mercury will remove the lead and not the gold.
Years ago, as a kid I used to play with mercury. It removed the lead
from the solder at the joint where the ring I wore had been resized.


Oh, forgot to mention that mercury was used for years to remove lead
from firearm barrels after shooting soft lead bullets. Used to keep a
bottle in my shop for this purpose.