Looking after your finds

[Brianmo]

Looking after your finds


There is no denying that we enjoy one of the best hobbies around with its many levels of participation from casual detecting for fun, to those that detect to a much more serious level, however, no matter your personal level of participation the hobby to presents us all with certain responsibilities.

We all love to display our finds, either imparting as much information as we know about the item or indeed seeking more information from others, without doubt, the vast majority of the public invariably show a keen interest in our ‘little treasures’ however humble they may be.

However, one of our main responsibilities is the long term after care for the coins and artefacts that we have found. The way we store and display our finds has a very definite effect on its long term welfare.

Although cleaning finds and storing finds do relate to each other, this article does not include information on cleaning finds as this is a wholly separate subject and is dealt with in a different article.

Labelling.

Whether displaying finds or in long term storage, it is paramount that each item is properly labelled and that the label is kept with the find at all times. The label can contain information such as the PAS record number, your own numbering identification system or a brief description of the find, where and when it was found.

Below is a list of suitable storage and packing materials including labelling materials.

Displaying Finds.

Finds tend to be kept in a variety of containers from purpose made wooden display cabinets and display trays such as the Lindner series, to biscuits tins and cardboard boxes. In some instances such as with the Lindner tray this is fine in the short term for display as they do help protect the find from direct contact; in other cases this is very inappropriate for the long term storage of finds.

There are some simple steps of advice that can help protect your finds while they are display.

One is limit the amount of physical contact that is made with the find, as oils and salts present on our skin can attack the find. If a find is to be handled then try to remember to wear disposable latex gloves or to if possible use rubber tipped tweezers to carefully lift a find.

Accidents do happen; most of us drop things at times. Try to ensure that when handling finds that this is done on a stable surface with some kind of soft material in place for the find to land on should it be dropped, some of the finds we make are a lot more fragile than they first appear.

Storing Finds.

In respect of the long term storage of finds we need to be aware of the two main factors that in the main can be detrimental to the finds over a period of time, these are 1, Air and 2, Moisture. The presence of both contributes to promoting corrosive effects on metal objects.

Unless we have access to a large budget it is virtually impossible to ensure that our storage facilities are 100% protected form these two elements, however there are steps we can take to reduce their effects.

Different metal corrode at different rates for example gold will show little or no corrosion while copper and its alloys and iron more often than not present us with more complex problems. Copper alloy can present a damaging form of corrosion known as ‘Bronze disease’, this is indicated by outbursts of a powdery green substance, and if this is present it will require immediate treatment. (If in doubt, always seek expert advice from you local FLO).


Containment

The help provide as air free an environment as possible a suitable airtight container such as those used for food storage are recommended.

Silica gel is used to absorb any small amount of moisture that me be present in the container, the gel can either be purchased for this purpose or the little bags found in a lot of packaging can be saved and reused (once it has been adequately dried and ready for reuse).

An indicator strip will show the current levels of moisture content and will indicate when the gel needs to be replaced or refreshed by drying.

We have now created a suitable environment for home storage. However having created this environment, we do not simply start turfing our finds into the box en masse.

Finds need to be separated and labelled individually. Each find should be placed within our storage environment in its won separate, labelled bag. Polythene grip bags with the white write on strips are ideal. The bags should be perforated with a hole punch for ventilation. Each bag should be labelled with a permanent black marker with its reference code either directly onto the bag or on to a suitable polythene label such as the ‘Tyvek’ label.

The find will need to be protected within the bag with a slip of polythene foam or acid free tissue. I was surprised to discover while researching this article that materials such as velvet, felt and some rubbers can emit sulphur which will lead to the tarnishing of finds, so all materials used must be neutral and acid free.

More fragile finds should be kept in their own clear plastic box within the storage environment and cushioned to protect them.

On a final note it is worth considering what will happen to your collection both in the short, mid and long term. Your interests, hobbies and life style may well change in the long term we all face the inevitability of leaving this mortal plane. Others in your family may share your interest or appreciate the importance of your collection, so please do ensure that you make suitable plans for its placement.


More in depth information on storage together with a list of suppliers can be found on the Portable Antiquities Service’s website at http://www.finds.org.uk/conservation .

If you have any doubts on this subject then please contact your local FLO for further, expert advice.


Steve-B