Akimov V.O., Olkhovsky S.V.

Key words: underwater archaeology, methods of conservation, methods of restoration, ancient coins, Phanagoreia.
The article describes the methods used for the desalination, cleaning and conservation of the underwater finds from Phanagoreia, and offers a new approach to cleaning bronze coins found in the sea. It involves cleaning and preservation of both the coin and the crust of corrosion products and silt, which bears on the inner surface a mirror imprint of the image on the coin. The method is relevant for poorly-preserved coins and especially for the coins which cannot be saved.