Over the weekend I bought a lot at an auction of 4 rolls of Indian head pennies. Most are in pretty good shape but about a third of them are corroded to the point of having green funk in them. I'm not looking to turn them into bright shinny coins but what would you all recommend to clean them up to look "normal"?
If corroded and eating into the coin there is not much you can do to restore them. Maybe soak in acetone, but not sure that will help much if they are too far gone.
I see your points. The damage is there it will only get worse if I leave it. But if I eliminate the corrosion it should stop or nearly stop the damage from getting worse.
i think it depends on what dates you have. not worth the effort on a 1907 IHC for example. Definitely worth it on an 1872.
You can't help them much but we have not actually seen the coins. Post some images if possible. Pick a common date and carry it in your pocket for a while with some other change, just for fun.
Coat them heavily with Vaseline, and lay them aside for a week. Some, but not all, will improve substantially without hurting the coin. There are different kinds of "green stuff," Vaseline will dissolve some of them.
