GBP's in nead of a clean

[Stan]

I bought this set 20 years ago from the Dodkin Collection.

I know you shouldn't really clean badges but the reverses are quite discoloured. Should I clean them or leave them as they are? What do you recommend cleaning them with? Someone once recommended toothpaste.

Stan

[Stan]

Gpb

Reverse is far worse than obverse.

Stan

[Wim Vangossum]

Hi,

Without any doubts their both original but I find this discoloring a little bit oddy. The Fuess concerns me to most. Do you keep them on a safe and dry place? Normally the fire gilded finish is very resistant and kept his beautiful sight. Or is it just 20 year build up dust and moisture that sticks on the surface of the finish? I'm sure "SJL" will correct me if I'm wrong and that he can give you some good advise.

Regards, Theo

[Stan]

GPB's

Theo,

I keep them in a moisture controlled room so the humidity is always around 50%. The discolouration was there when I got them.

Stan

[ErichS]

Can you do close up shots? They look like nice badges and i would not clean them.

[Stan]

GPB's

Erich,

Here are better photos.

Stan

[Stan]

GPB's

Reverse.

Stan

[Stan]

GPB's

Small size.

Stan

[Stan]

GPB's

Reverse of small size. The plate holding the pin in position has been soldered back on.

Stan

[ErichS]

Stan, Thanks for the additional pics. You have a very nice set and i would still leave them alone.

[ErichS]

On a side note, I talked with a very famous West Coast Dealer regerding rotgraved badges and he felt that Deschler farmed out the engraving on the 30mm badges to a Jeweler who engraved them. He felt Deschler did this when they got very busy and in a lot of cases these badges were for replacements. He also thought the lines on the reverse were from sanding due to the sharp shavings left over from the engraving.

[Bob Hritz]

The finish on these badges are very fragile. i would recpmmend that you leave them alone and DO NOT attempt to clean them. I am afraid you would be dissapointed with the results.

Bob Hritz

[sjl]

While I don't recommend a Brillo pad and a can of Ajax , a jeweller's gold cloth could help, or non-abrasive liquid hand soap rubbed in with your fingers. Ideally all tarnish can be removed by passing a regulated current through the item which is immersed in a non toxic electrolyte (best left to jewellers).

Fire or mercurial gilding is quite sturdy, and GPBs long buried often show little wear or tarnish. The method of fire gilding is quite amazing (and dangerous):

First mix equal amounts of mercury and gold leaf in a mortar and pestle and pound relentlessly away for half an hour until you have aching shoulders and a dirty grey sludge to show for it. Then quickly dip the item to be gilded in "aqua fortis" - nitric acid - as dangerous as mercury and the cause of much poisoning of gilders in the past. Then sloosh the item through distilled water to rinse and allow to air dry.

I used a paint brush to apply the gilding paste of mercury and gold. I have rarely been so surprised as when I saw how easily it adheres to clean brass. When the whole is covered, then the more dangerous bit takes place. This is where you heat the item very gently until the mercury evaporates. If you have got the mercury and gold well mixed then you will have a perfect deposit of gold on the item. One advantage of mercury gilding is that the gold can be as thickly deposited as you like.

Once you have finished the gilding process, then you return the item to the brazier – gilders used wire mesh cages to hold the items) and heat it in the flames, which will oxidise the gold rather and produce varying degrees of rose colour depending on how long it is left in the flames. It is this last process which produces the distinctive nature of "fire" gilding.

As they say, don't try this at home.

[Jon Fish]

I would leave them alone. However I know a dealer who swears by a little soapy water and it does bring them up a treat, I'll give him that. Scares me though !