I want to crack it out of the slab and clean it. Is there a way to remove the black spots on the reverse.
Don't crack it out and clean it! The odds are you will likely only further damage it and greatly reduce the value of that semi key date. If those spots were really bothering me, I would much rather spend the money to send that coin off to NCS (Numismatic Conservation Service) to have it restored. That way I would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the coin would not be ruined. Here's the link. Good luck. http://www.ncscoin.com/conservation/index.asp
Just an old bit of carbon it looks like to me. There are tons of cents out there with this type of spots .Messing with it will do more harm than good - it is nearly impossible IMO for anyone besides a professional to "fix" a copper coin & have it still look natural. Leave it alone, for an IGC AU50 coin it is OK.Personally overgraded py a point IMO. The costs in the cracking it & then getting it re graded by another company plus the risk of grade deflation definately makes it not a cost effective decision.
Safety first, try using a hammer with a rubber grip. Splinters hurt like the dickens. And btw, if you are going to brillo your coin, be sure to use one without soap inside like the one shown above. Soap can leave a residue that can damage the coin.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLEAN IT! Those spots cannot be removed, even by a professional service such as NCS. If the spots bother you, sell the coin and buy a new one.
True. There has been more than one thread on CT showing the damage NCS has done while attempting to "remove" black spots on Lincoln cents.
You should leave the coin as is. Tons of red cents have spots on them. If carbon spots bother you that much get cents that are red brown.
I would buy a better coin, then sell this one. But no way would I bust the slab and try to clean it. I just don't think the risk that you will improve the value is worth it. IMHO gary
