Silver Bullion items, cleaning

**Milan Gard** · 10-22-2009, 08:18 PM

Hello Friends

how it clean? and is it good idea?

all opinions are welcome

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 10-22-2009 08:18 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 10-23-2009, 12:36 AM

I am afraid that cleaning, especially with any liquid, will destroy it further. The aluminum wire embroidery oxidizes, and such is fate, despite the 1,000 year Reich. Its objects do not last forever.

**stonemint** · 10-23-2009, 05:26 AM

by Friedrich-Berthold

I am afraid that cleaning, especially with any liquid, will destroy it further. The aluminum wire embroidery oxidizes, and such is fate, despite the 1,000 year Reich. Its objects do not last forever.

Agreed--leave as is. I do recall, in my much younger days, once having cleaned genuine silver bullion with silver tarnish remover (it actually worked). However, it is something I would never do again, in the interests of historical posterity.

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 10-23-2009, 05:32 AM

Silver wire insignia, that is, Silbergespinst with real silver content is one thing, but the aluminum wire material we are interested in does oxidize, especially with moisture. It is actually fairly fragile, and unforgiving of mistreatment.

The reality is simple: no matter what, time takes its toll of these things, especially if collectors mistreat them.

The key here is to reduce the humidity in the environment of your treasures.

I have constant nightmares that creatures destroy my caps, uniforms, and books. It is a recurring malheur, in a fragile mind.

This image was posted by a chap in Germany.

I had the most wonderful Jaeger Wellhausen cap that was then abused by another collector--the piece shown here was not mine, of course. Mine is the cap pictured in one of the Schiffer books, actually. I bought it in 1970.......hahahahaha

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 10-23-2009, 05:37 AM

Our Moravian or Slovak friend's collar patch is not in such bad shape. I have seen far worse, to be sure.

**Milan Gard** · 10-23-2009, 06:29 AM

Hello Friedrich,

thank you and all for your opinion, and how much humidity is ideal for storing items? I have 55% now, normal is 50-70 IMO.

Generally: dry, but must be humidite lower than 50?

**Dimas** · 10-23-2009, 06:52 AM

So, I prefer not to clean. I still have a pair of green piped officers straps, which I've destroy with it's cleaning. The straps was a bit oxidized over, and I tried to use some alcaline based substance. The outside of the straps became the better look, but the white thread inside of the boards became a UV glowing, so now no one will trust me that they are original...

**Adrian Stevenson** · 10-23-2009, 10:47 AM

Hi Milan, all good advice. Don't be tempted to touch it.

Cheers, Ade.

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 10-23-2009, 10:48 AM

by milan12

Hello Friedrich,

thank you and all for your opinion, and how much humidity is ideal for storing items? I have 55% now, normal is 50-70 IMO.

Generally: dry, but must be humidite lower than 50?

There are museum professionals on certain sites, whom you can ask. I should think in central Europe where you are the ambient humidity in greater than in other locales, but common sense has to be the guide. I have some past experience in military museums, but my memory of the parameters is quite bad.