I've had this coin for 30-40yrs and remember cleaning it as a dumb teenager but what is the strange coloring and can it be safely removed? It's only on the obverse side. Thanks
You could try a new acetone soak, but not anything else. Otherwise, leave it be. I don’t know anything else that is safe to use, besides xylene or distilled water. You could try a dip mixture, but you better know what you’re doing. It’s around AU58+, imo, so value is close to $93.50, not at slabbing thresh-hold either, unless you have a personal motive…Spark
Thank you all for your knowledge. Since it has been cleaned should I try Acetone or something else or just leave things as they are? And am I to hopeful that it's a $50 coin? Yes, I pulled that out of thin air as I know almost nothing as my skilled trade is about as far away from coin collecting as you can get, being a heavy equipment mechanic
Will that yellow buildup on the obverse loosen with a toothpick? Why don’t you moisten one and gently poke at it? It almost looks like some polish residue that caked on over the years and pretty much dried out over time and solidified. Don’t have to be rough on it.
That's kinda what I'm here for, some ideas as to what it is and how it could be removed. Some mentioned toning. I can certainly try a moistened wood toothpick. Since I messed it up I better wait to see what more people say then go ahead and try some of the ideas. Thanks for your input.
When you cleaned the coin you didn’t properly remove whatever you used to clean it. A slight residue was left on the surface. It’s now toning and that will help to cover some of your cleaning. Best to leave as is but put it in a flip to protect it. Hopefully you didn’t scrub the coin. Welcome to CT.
That coin appears to have been harshly scrubbed, as evidenced with the parallel lines in the field I/F/O Miss Liberty's face and across the olive branches. Water, acetone, xylene will not remove the toning or the yellow coloring on the obverse. Don't use a tooth pick to try either. The only way to remove toning is with a coin cleaner such as BU Brightener, or EZ Zest. If there was any luster before it was removed with the harsh cleaning it received years back. Dipping will strip the current toning and leave you with a dull, lifeless coin. You can not undue a harsh cleaning. This poor coin has been through a lot. I'm afraid it is permanently damaged.
That is a toned coin, but the questionable color appears to be from the coin possibly being cleaned. If it's been cleaned, whoever did it has done a (----) good job on it. It's still a cool coin, though!
Read post #1 again. The OP admitted cleaning it many moons ago. So what you’re saying is the OP improperly cleaned the coin, which was agreed to by at least 4 members. I know you are a new member, but read the posting threads carefully to get the full story before posting your opinion. We have all learned to do this by making similar mistakes as well. Hope this helps…Spark
With those hairlines, it will never grade above DETAILS. Only way to get rid of those is to pocket carry it for a year or so. Z