Hi! I recently purchased a Lincoln cent collection which included a rather roughly handled Whitman folder. The coins in it are or at least were stunning MS-examples, but time has taken its toll on lots of them. Perhaps due to humid storage conditions. Do you know any way to restore its former glory if these coins? Thanks for any suggestions!
Meow thinks you cant clean copper. As the correct color is not possible to regain. If not careful you might end up with pink pennies.
There is not much that you can do. Acetone would remove anything organic on the coin but the copper surface are already stained.
There is no going back. IMO. Copper is soft and staining and oxidization become part of the metal. It is a shame they got neglected in such a way.
Yeah, its a shame. I have quite a few coins in Dansco-albums, and hope they are better stored in those. But guess this particular one, has been exposed to humidity.