I found a 1901 IHC in a roll yesterday. It's not in poor condition, but it's very cruddy. I was reading other posts about how it is acceptable to dip coins. I also read in that same thread about tarn-x, but I've had tarn-x when I was a kid and it seems pretty harsh (it fascinated me after seeing the TV commercials in the early 80's, so I bought some at G.C. Murphy's. lol) Anyway, would you dip this coin, and if so, what would you use? Thanks.
I've dug up a few IH's that looked like this. Cleaning just leaves them discolored and pitted badly. I've started just leaving them alone and keep the dug coins separate from my regular collection.
Using anything to dip or harshly clean a coin is never a good idea. You can use some acetone to remove some of the green on the surfaces. After that, leave it alone, a 111 year old penny has earned its patina.
Let it soak in cooking oil for a few weeks then use a soft bristle tooth brush to remove some of the crud, repeat. Can't hurt on a coin in this shape.
The accepted method is to let the coin rest in olive oil. The longer the better. It will improve the look of the coin. Over a period of several weeks, you will be able to see what has fallen off the coin, as the olive oil will turn murky.
