1909s Lincoln Green Spots Clean?

I have this 1909s with quite a bit of corroded green spots. The strike looks really good. Is there any way to clean this safely or just leave it as is?

 

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Verdi care from @BadThad might help a bit.

 

1909S , love to have a better look.

 

http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/products/verdi-care.html

 

@slcutguy - Good picture BTW!

 

Wow! They have great prices! Beats the heck out of Amazon! I will be buying off of them from now on....

 

I don't think I would try the MS70 on that coin. Sometimes it makes that type of damage worse.

I might soak it in olive oil for an extended period but no matter what you do, it's still going to be a corroded 1909 S 1¢.

 

Hooray, finally the correct answer .....................

 

I disagree. The coin is corroded already, the MS-70 will loosen the green. So will olive oil (how many days do you wish to wait for a ten minute conservation?). I bet so will Verdi. Whatever you use, rub the coin's surface a little as possible.

Best is hot MS-70 in ultrasonic cleaner. PM me for tips using ultrasonic if you go that route as they can destroy coins quickly.

 

Wow, difficult question. The green color is corrosion, often referred to as verdigris. The corrosion uses the material of the coin along with other elements to make a new compound. The problem is, if you remove the corrosion, you remove parts of the coin. Perhaps the best answer is to remove the loose corrosion and try to stabilize what is left of the coin. I like VerdiCare, but this might not work too well for this particular coin. Off the top of my head, I would think placing the coin in a sink, on a plastic mesh or something that would keep it from going down the drain and deluging it with hot water from the tap would remove loose stuff. Next either rinse the coin with distilled water or at least pat it dry with a soft cloth. Finally dry it thoroughly with a hair dryer and store it in some capsule which will protect it from further corrosion. Make a decision if you want the responsibility of taking care of this or whether you should sell it.

 

I have seen Indian cents recovered with a metal detector actually crumble apart when treated with MS70. They looked similar to this coin but with a more even green covering more of the surface of the coin. But whatever is done, one still ends up with a corroded 1909 S Lincoln 1¢, perhaps with a different color.

 

That is a very nice 1909 S cent...besides the corrosion.

 

I'd do a long soak in verdicare. It will I'm sure be less green and more appealing. But still a corroded details grade 09-s

 

Just curious, where did you get it? You dig it up?

 

Oh boy. @BadThad needs to see this one. That's nuts. I almost like it like it is. Too bad it's corrosive and has to go if it's not too late already

 

The coin is already heavily pitted and corroded, the pits are filled with verdigris. If you use a harsh method, the verdigris in the pits will dissolve and the end-result will be will pitted, cleaned and hideous. You'll probably take metal with it losing detail and it will probably look worse, if you can image that. Appears to be an EF-AU coin.

Personally, I would just soak this coin for a few days in VC, with a couple fluid changes, then let it air dry for a week. I would go no further, I would leave any remaining verdigris on the coin for fear of losing detail. When done, put it into an AirTite and leave it alone.

I've worked on coins similar to this before and I'm telling you, if you get too aggressive with it, you will not be pleased. There is NO NEED to completely remove all verdigris! VC and an airtite will stabilize anything left will halt it's progress.

 

Ditto! Anyway, don't let the OP know that some folks try to hide the surface pits after the green is removed. Result depends on the skill of the faker.

 

"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?"