Hello again! I have several pennies that have corrosion on them and I’d like to clean them. Can anyone tell me what I might be able to clean them with and not cause further damage? Again, thanks in advance for any replies! Dave
So, are these British Pennies or American cents? If American, are they Lincolns, Indian Heads, Large Cents? What kind of corrosion? Probably better to just post some photos. Generally coins should not be cleaned, and copper is really tricky to do anything with. Welcome to CoinTalk, get ready for some good-natured kidding.
Thanks, these are American copper pennies and are mostly wheats with some Lincolns. I will post pictures soon. When I say “corrosion” some have the greenish-blue hue to them and some have what could be said to just be plain dirty. I appreciate the feedback. Dave
In the meanwhile, there is no harm from soaking them in water. The ones with the most greenish-blue crud might be suffering from bronze disease or verdigris. I would not soak these with any other coins...they should be quarantined.
It is very difficult to clean copper without it being noticeable. Acetone will work on a lot of organic crud, but if the copper has reacted, then you're out of luck
