Some of these antique weathervanes have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars and a prospective customer has to be cautious because there are some unscrupulous artists and metalworkers who chemically induce patinas to simulate antiquity in newly-made weathervanes. Pictured after fifteen years of outdoor exposure, you can see it has begun to develop a nice turquoise green patina, particularly on the underside.Ī naturally acquired patina is prized by collectors of antique weathervanes. Below is a photo of one of our Dolphin weathervanes. Every weathervane develops an individual appearance based on its location and the environmental factors present.ĭesign and patina are what make your vane distinct from any other. If you live in an area with oodles of rain your weather vane may develop a “weeping” patina over time. If you live by the ocean, you will often get a “speckled” patina which is caused by the sea salt in the atmosphere. ![]() In industrial and urban air environments containing sulfuric acid from coal-fired power plants or industrial processes, the final patina is primarily composed of sulphide or sulphate compounds.Īs a bit of environmental ‘magic’ the patina on each weather vane is unique. In clean air rural environments the patina is created by the slow chemical reaction of copper with carbon dioxide and water, producing a basic copper carbonate. These variations depend upon environmental conditions such as sulfur-containing acid rain. The green patina that forms naturally on copper and brass, sometimes called verdigris, usually consists of varying mixtures of copper chlorides, sulfides, sulfates and carbonates. Copper weathervanes installed in damp coastal or marine environments will develop patina layers faster than those in dry inland areas. The transition to a fully turquoise green patina takes a number of years to develop under natural weathering. When first put outside, a copper weathervane will quickly age to a rich chocolate brown color. When new, copper is the same bright color as a shiny new copper penny.
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