So after searching for about 3 hours I found this one RPM... :headbang: ... I used coppercoins.com and believe it is RPM 1954d-1mm-001 not valuable by any means, but it was a fun find. My question is, I know cleaning is bad, its the absolute no-no of our hobby, but on a coin such as this where there is no real value, I would like to get this green residue off... I'm new to Lincolns, primarely a Buffalo hunter, but taking a little side journey if you will. So any suggestions on the least harmful way rid the residue from the coin?
I've had great luck with Hydrogen Peroxide on copper coins. Yours looks to be the soft type of green gunk, so it should come out pretty easy with a soak. I can't tell you how long it will take, but as a rule of thumb I check a soaking copper about every 15 minutes. Also, I find shot glasses make very nice cleaning containers. Oh, if you have a coin that has the green stuff impregnated into the metal within the details, don't bother soaking it. If you do, it will eat away details and all. It is best to leave the coin the way it is. I learned the hard way. I hope that helps a little.
The green stuff is probably 1 of 2 things - PVC or verdigris. Acetone will remove PVC and Biox will remove verdigris. But using either of them on copper may well cause the coin to change color altogether.
Try using a wooden toothpick to clean it. Wood will not damage the coin. Brad www.lincolncentresource.com
Not quite true Brad. Yes a toothpick can be used to try and remove gunk from a coin - but it should only be done in a certain way. You use the toothpoick to lift the gunk but you only touch the gunk and do not touch the surface of the coin with the wood. Think about it for a second - if the softest cloth can mark a coin, a piece of wood will definitely mark it.
