This coin has a lot of gunk on the reverse that needs to be removed. The coin has a beautiful red color that I want on it. How do I remove the gunk without removing the color? Thanks.
I don't think that it can be done. The red color here is not a thin film layer that can produce a red tone effect, but more the red from deeper corrosion or if it had been with iron content of soil. This type of red is often seen on nickel-copper coins such as buffaloes that have been underground, or in a rusty steel box. Jim
I noticed when I soaked a corroded steel ceint in distilled water corrosion was removed. I wouldn't do anything besides alcohol and distilled water on coppers. From what I have read here, acetone doesn't do much for coppers. Maybe distilled water for several days, then some alcohol, then distilled water again. If that doesn't work leave as is.
I have to go along with Jim, what you want to do can't be done. That coin is extremely corroded and there is not 1 thing you can do about it. And for whatever it's worth, the grade label on the picture, the coin is not AU. The coin is damaged and ungradeable.
She's a goner so pretty much anything you can think of doing to her is on the table. Personally, I'd let the poor girl be.
The coin appears to be corroded severely and the color is not natural. There is little that can be done to "improve" it and nothing that can be done to get it pristine. There is likely extensive underlying damage to the metal that will be revealed once the gunk comes off and this damage cannot be reversed.
