1798 Draped Bust Large Cent - Acetone, Xylene, H2o Freeze?

It took 200 years for the coin to get the character. Why take that away? At most put it in olive oil for a few months, that's all I would do.

Tony

I wouldn't even put it in olive oil. I don't think anything you might do will improve it and it is a valuable coin as is. Most of what I see is old corrision and it cannot be repaired. Efforts to do so will ruin the patina and the coin.

Not even I would touch it! :D Acetone is safe on the patina, but unless there is dirt that I don't see on it, it won't do anything to it.

I agree with everyone else--leave it alone it's corrosion and nothing can't be done and the patina on it is a plus.

Nice, used to be considered a scarce variety (R-4) but is now down to just "Not so common" (R-3). But I think it is still rather hard to come by and somewhat popular. S-181 from the same obverse die as the Rare S-180, one of the best ofthe 1798's. The obverse is esily identified by the heavy horizontal crack from 9:00 to the hair curl passing just below the ribbon. Unfortunately the reverse has an outer berry below the first T in STATES, and it lacks the Cud above the second T in STATES that appears on almost all S-180's. (I can tell you when that obv picture came up my blood pressure took a hop.)

This coin appears to be somewhere between Die State III and IV. On three there is a die crack to the right of the 8 and on IV the area between the crack and the bust has developed into a Cud. Your coin looks like it might have the Cud, or in may be a Retained Cud at this point.