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Posted 07/11/2014 02:28 am
I recently kept going with a similarly black (And green) 1844 large cent and each step I took made the coin look worse. Eventually it looked like a pale, pink, fake looking coin that was still dirty, but worse looking than the heavy black "patina". Acetone will dry out the greasy shine you've given it, and then I'd leave it alone.
If you are feeling adventurous, the harshest chemical that won't severely discolor the copper or strip it, would be boiling hydrogen peroxide. It's not going to make it look new by any means, though. Try it on a cheap dirty copper Lincoln first.
But again, after messing up a large cent of my own, I wouldn't even try it. Embrace the ugly and all its history.
If you are feeling adventurous, the harshest chemical that won't severely discolor the copper or strip it, would be boiling hydrogen peroxide. It's not going to make it look new by any means, though. Try it on a cheap dirty copper Lincoln first.
But again, after messing up a large cent of my own, I wouldn't even try it. Embrace the ugly and all its history.
Stick it in your album for now, awaiting a future upgrade at some point. Sounds like you tried your best at conservation, now it's just going to damage the coin more (if that is possible).
