The Conservation of Early Post-Medieval Period Coins Found in Estonia

This article deals with coins of varying consistency in silver and the problems of conserving them. The aim of the research was to find the most suitable method for the conservation of poorly preserved early post-medieval period coins with varying composition. To achieve this, first, the composition of both the metal and the corrosion products of the ancient coins were analysed, and then comparisons of experiments with different cleaning methods were carried out in order to find out the least harmful and most efficient one. A test was also performed to determine the necessity and efficiency of stabilising the surface of the coins after cleaning.