Removing oxidation on shoulder board cyphers

[John Goodman W]

Hello fellow collectors.
Does anyone have a guaranteed safe method of removing and stopping further green oxidation on shoulder board cyphers? I have recently acquired a nice pair of boards where the cyphers are oxidising further, and would like to put a stop to it before they turn to powder. Thanks

[brooksbz]

It is best to leave them alone. You cannot stop it once it gets started. The oxidation process is a chemical reaction with the base metal. It is not superficial. If you try to knock it off, the metal will go with it and leave holes behind.

[Fred Green]

Hello,

You mentioned Green oxidation. Are your cypher brass? If so you can wipe this off, this is called verdigris. If they are zinc and turning white , this is what brooksbz is talking about.

Fred

[Johnny R]

I agree with Fred but that normally occurs on brass and copper etc. The shoulder board devices are made of different types of "pot metal" and cheaper alloys that often oxidize to a blue to a sometimes blue green color. The later cannot be clean off safely.

[brooksbz]

Yes I was referring to the type of oxidation that turns the white metal into white powder.

[Fred Green]

Hello,

Can you post a picture of the cypher? If it is zinc pest or oxidation of pot metal there is not really anything you can do to stop it. If it is verdigris on a brass item, that can be wiped off. Johnny, I have never seen a zinc or pot metal oxidize to a green or blue green! Something new to me.

Fred

[Johnny R]

Hello,

Can you post a picture of the cypher? If it is zinc pest or oxidation of pot metal there is not really anything you can do to stop it. If it is verdigris on a brass item, that can be wiped off. Johnny, I have never seen a zinc or pot metal oxidize to a green or blue green! Something new to me.

Fred

I have seen them turn a light robin egg blue to blue green color seen on US pennies when oxidizing. I know the blue green goo you are talking about with brass etc. it is not the same. I will see if I can find an example later.

[Fred Green]

I have seen them turn a light robin egg blue to blue green color seen on US pennies when oxidizing. I know the blue green goo you are talking about with brass etc. it is not the same. I will see if I can find an example later.

Johnny,

I do know what you are talking about now. It is the oxidation of zink under a brass/copper plated item. I have seen this before!! I was picturing a brass/copper item having the verdigris reaction when it is near leather. Thanks.

Fred

[Waffenreich]

John,

Based on what you are describing I assume these are stamped brass cyphers with a gilt wash. I have a significant amount of experience with this type of item from U.S. Civil War collecting.

Here is all that you will need:

A lemon, a couple of wood toothpicks (ideally the round type), a couple of Q-tips, and some distilled water. Squeeze one half of the lemon into a small bowl and pour a little distilled water into another small bowl.

* If you can remove the cyphers without fear of breaking the prongs then do it.

* Dip the tip of a toothpick into the lemon juice and gently rub it on the area where the green is. It will eventually break it down and remove it. You may have to do it a couple of times. Sometimes it will totally remove it and sometimes it may be too stubborn and you may have to very lightly scrape at it with the side of a razor to break it up. In that case EXTREME caution is necessary and this should only be done under high magnification so you can see if you are marring the finish. Once you have broke it down go over the area with a Q-tip soaked in the lemon juice to even it out and remove any minute particles. After you have got the desired look rub another Q-tip soaked in distilled water on the cypher to neutralize the citric acid so no unintended corrosion occurs. Dry the cypher off with a soft towel and reinstall it. You should be good-to-go.

* If you cannot get the cypher off slide a piece of cardstock under it on the board and try the toothpick method. You want the cardstock jutting out of the sides of the cypher to protect the plating. Be careful with the Q-tip though as you don't want to saturate the surrounding area on the shoulder board plating with lemon juice as it could discolor it or corrode it. Do the same lemon juice/distilled water treatment and you should be good. Dry it with a hair dryer to ensure the metal of the plating is dry (but don't cook it).

I have done this on numerous Civil War gilded buttons with great results. The nice thing about lemon juice vs. vinegar is that from my experience it will not deoxidize the cypher or remove the patina and make it look like a new penny.

Can you post a couple of pics of the cyphers so we can tell you for sure if this method will be effective? You may have something else going on and in that case they may be better left alone.

I hope this helped.

vr

Bob



Squeeze a lemon into a small bowl and rub the effected area with a Q-tip with the lemon juice on it

[John Goodman W]

Green Oxidation

Thank you all for your replies. The cyphers are some type of zinc/tombak metal which was plated or fire guilded. I shall try the lemon juice on a Sanitäter cypher before moving on to the Nebelwerfer cyphers. The moisture here in Germany has affected many people's collections where war type metals are used. With me, I am fortunate that it is only on two pairs of boards. I have seen belt buckles almost totally eaten through.
Again my thanks

[Waffenreich]

Good plan John.

Nebelwerfer cyphers?? Are these just unit numbers (14 by chance?).

Thank you all for your replies. The cyphers are some type of zinc/tombak metal which was plated or fire guilded. I shall try the lemon juice on a Sanitäter cypher before moving on to the Nebelwerfer cyphers. The moisture here in Germany has affected many people's collections where war type metals are used. With me, I am fortunate that it is only on two pairs of boards. I have seen belt buckles almost totally eaten through.
Again my thanks

[Fred Green]

Hello Bob,

Great info!!! No wonder I see all of these nice CW Buttons!!!

Fred

[Waffenreich]

Hi Fred.

Does wonders for gilded items coming out of the ground.

See you in a few weeks.

Regards!

Bob

Hello Bob,

Great info!!! No wonder I see all of these nice CW Buttons!!!

Fred

[John Goodman W]

Hi. No they are the guilded gothic N letters - pre war

[Johnny R]

Hi. No they are the guilded gothic N letters - pre war

That is very strange, I have never seen the higher quality prewar gilt devices corrode or oxidize. Those devices were only worn for a short period from 1935-1936 and usually are almost mint if still on boards. Maybe they were in poor storage conditions after the war. Can you post pictures of those if you have time?