Restoring Silver Peace Dollars and Watching Vanda Orchids Bloom

A Good Old Fashioned Cleaning of the Peace Dollars

A few weeks ago, I picked up two silver Peace dollars .. And was eager to bring out their beauty with a bit of gentle cleaning. After some research, I decided to go with the mildest approach possible, using just a dab of blue Dawn dish soap and the very tips of my fingers, applying the lightest touch. As I worked, I could see years of grime lifting off, revealing more of the coins' original surfaces. They’re still toned, but now the toning has a charming quality that almost appears to have hints of rainbow colors when viewed in the right light, although the predominant color is a brownish hue.

Before Cleaning - photo of the Obverse

After cleaning - the Obverse

I know there’s some debate in coin-collecting circles about toning.. Some collectors see it as a negative, while others appreciate the unique beauty and character it brings. Personally, I don’t mind the toning at all. I think it gives the Peace dollars a bit of personality and tells part of their history. After this small clean-up, I’ll leave them in their natural, circulated state. They’re still far from uncirculated, but the finer details are more visible now, and I’d say they’re somewhere in the EF to AU range. But since I’m not a professional grader, it’s just my best guess.

Before Cleaning - photo of the Reverse

After Cleaning - the Reverse

I think they came out looking pretty good :)

Huxley The Helper

Sir Huxley looking on and waiting for the okay to investigate

As I worked on cleaning the Peace dollars .. Mr. Huxley was right by my side, watching every move with keen interest. He was so curious, he even laid down beside the coins as I snapped photos for today’s post, staying close as if he were supervising the process. Once I finished, he patiently sat next to them, waiting for the go-ahead to give them a few investigative nose nudges and gentle licks. Thank goodness I’d just cleaned them! Now, of course, they have some fresh little wet nose smudges from Huxley’s "quality check."

He's being such a good boy waiting while Daddy takes photos of the coins

SNIFF SNIFF, LICK LICK.. Hux Approves!

Vanda Orchid Blooms on the Move

On another note, our Vanda Orchids have been putting on their own kind of show.. It’s been about six days since I last shared photos, and it’s amazing to see how much the Panchara Delight bloom has progressed. Its flower stem has grown several inches in that short time, reaching eagerly towards the light, while the Wilas x Dr. Anek bloom is still moving at its own steady, slower pace. Even though it’s not growing as quickly, it’s definitely making progress, and I’m curious to see how the two blooms will compare once they’re both fully developed.

Panchara Delight bloom stem - Growing fast

Wilas x Dr. Anek bloom stem - Still small

I’ll be back with more updates .. Once the Panchara Delight Vanda begins to open up. It’s always a thrill to see those first petals unfold, revealing colors that seem even more vibrant than I remember from past blooms.

Between the subtle beauty of the Peace dollars and the vivid transformation of the orchids, these small changes are a reminder of the quiet rewards that come with ..

Patience and Care

“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.