can this medal be cleaned?

[Jeroen P]

I'm thinking about buying this medal. It's probably made of nickel silver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_silver), so not of real silver. As you can see, the medal is discoloured / darkened a bit.
Do you think this is just a removable layer, like on silver medals, or is it impossible to bring the original look back (based on these pictures?)

many thanks!

[Gordon Craig]

Jeroen P,

This is an age old question to medal collectors. Many do not wish to buy medals that have been cleaned. They like the "patina" on a medal that comes from age. Others say that a medal would normally have been cleaned by the owner and not worn dirty but those who would clean a medal are in the minority. This medal appears to have dark spots that may not clean out and cleaning the medal may make it look less attractive than it is already. Perhaps waiting for a better example would be your best bet.

Regards,

Gordon

[Jeroen P]

Thanks for your reply.

In any case, I would leave the medal as it is if I bought it.
I just wanted to know whether it could hypothetically be cleaned because the dark spots are just a layer on the metal, or whether the metal itself is discolored and thus damaged and less attractive.

I've always had the impression myself too that the medal is damaged and that the dark spots are not just a layer. A shame though, since the rest of the medal is quite nice and it has its original box.

[uscob]

I allway's use denture cleaner tablets for this. Disconnect the Medal from the Ribbon and hang it on a wire into the warm sollution. Just try how long it needs to remove the oxidation from the Metal. After it you just need to rub it dry with a smooth rag. In 99% of uses, it was very satifying and it doesn't damages the surface and maybe a plating.