Removing tarnish from proof coins - 1890 advice 0

[RWB]

Here's some advice for removing tarnish from proof coins from the Curator of the Philadelphia Mint Cabinet of Coins. The town of Mauch Chunk was in the heart of Pennsylvania anthracite coal country.

L. F. Leisenring

Mauch Chunk, Penna.

August 25, 1890

Superintendent,

U.S. Mint

Philadelphia, Pa

Dear Sir:

            I am well aware that the U.S. Mint is no “bureau of information,” but I would esteem it a favor if you will kindly advise me what kind of acid and in what manner same is used to clean tarnished proof coins without using a brush or cloth. Also, how to keep coin from tarnishing. Your early reply will oblige.

            Yours truly,

            L. F. Leisenring

[Manuscript reply:]

A weak solution of cyanide of potassium. Preserve with collodion varnish.

 

Do not play around with potassium cyanide - poison.

Edited May 26, 2020 by RWB

[kbbpll]

Almost as interesting, the town was renamed Jim Thorpe and paid his widow to have him buried there to attract business.

[Just Bob]

I imagine J. Stanford Saltus would disagree with the Mint's recommendation.

  Link

[DWLange]

It wasn't the cyanide that killed Saltus; it was the little umbrella in his drink.

[RWB]

"Collodion varnish" was (still is) used to protect ambrotypes and wet plate collodion images (which are metallic silver).

Here's a link to a company in New Mexico that sells wet plate photographic products:

https://www.bostick-sullivan.com/cart/

(Not an advertisement - I have no connection with this company.)

Edited May 26, 2020 by RWB

[Kirt]

13 hours ago, RWB said:

Do not play around with potassium cyanide - poison.

It's sad that you have to even say that. I'm teaching my kids basic chemistry (starting with unless you know for sure what it is and what it's for, do not touch/sniff/ingest anything) since they won't start learning it in school until 10th grade - which is long after curiosity got the better of me. Now to go about deprogramming the notion that anything "natural" is safe...

[Just Bob]

It is interesting to me that people were still trusted enough at that time to be able to buy cyanide over the counter. (and opium and strychnine and dynamite, etc, etc.)

Edited May 26, 2020 by Just Bob

[Conder101]

13 hours ago, Kirt said:

Do not play around with potassium cyanide - poison.

In high school chemistry they wouldn't permit the chemistry teacher to requisition chemicals based on need, only by alphabetical order, so for qualitative analysis of metals we couldn't use the alternate safe reagent, we HAD to let 10th graders play with potassium cyanide.

 

It was really silly, the teacher had to submit his request for chemicals listed in alphbetical order.  They didn't tell him how much they had to spend on the chemicals and then they just started filling it from the top of the list until the money ran out.  You know how hard it must be to plan a chemistry curriculum with no chemicals with names starting after D. 

[Kirt]

10 hours ago, Conder101 said:

In high school chemistry they wouldn't permit the chemistry teacher to requisition chemicals based on need, only by alphabetical order, so for qualitative analysis of metals we couldn't use the alternate safe reagent, we HAD to let 10th graders play with potassium cyanide.

 

It was really silly, the teacher had to submit his request for chemicals listed in alphbetical order.  They didn't tell him how much they had to spend on the chemicals and then they just started filling it from the top of the list until the money ran out.  You know how hard it must be to plan a chemistry curriculum with no chemicals with names starting after D. 

This is not only insane, it's still going on...my wife is a pediatric occupational therapist in a school. Last September she had to requisition what she needed for a new classroom, and they would not tell her the budget nor the prices of the items she was requisitioning. Sure enough, they filled the requisitions in alphabetical order until the money ran out. She got past D but missed huge swathes of what she needed. Every few months they must get more money, because a box would show up. We are convinced after schools reopen she's going to go back to boxes piled outside the door.

Back to your story - real bummer, sodium and potassium were two of my faves in HS chemistry. Plus our chemistry teacher loved teaching us how to fill test tubes with hydrogen and ignite it.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Kirt

[kenlee47]

On 5/26/2020 at 2:22 PM, Just Bob said:

It is interesting to me that people were still trusted enough at that time to be able to buy cyanide over the counter. (and opium and strychnine and dynamite, etc, etc.)

The only thing I don't remember is the opium! 😮

[kbbpll]

At the time this letter was written, Coca-Cola contained cocaine. It was the real thing.

[Just Bob]

23 minutes ago, kenlee47 said:

The only thing I don't remember is the opium! 😮

Do you remember Paregoric? It was a 4% tincture of opium that was available over the counter until 1970, and then available in anti-diarrheal medicines like Donnagel-PG by signing for it until the late 80s or early 90s. It now requires a prescription the same as any other opiate.

[kenlee47]

10 hours ago, Just Bob said:

Do you remember Paregoric? It was a 4% tincture of opium that was available over the counter until 1970, and then available in anti-diarrheal medicines like Donnagel-PG by signing for it until the late 80s or early 90s. It now requires a prescription the same as any other opiate.

Yes I do! I remember getting anti-diarrhea medicine and then you had to have a prescription for it. I remember when you could go to pharmacy and they would sell you a LARGE cheap bottle of quinine for leg cramps. You ask the pharmacy about quinine now and you will receive a strange look, if they are young enough.