A rather large (to me) wheat penny collection was recently handed down to me; some in rolls others in coin folders. As I went through the collection I noticed that a lot have suffered from oxidation. I’ve kept my corroded/oxidized coins separate from all my other coins to prevent spreading. I’ve never cleaned any of my wheat pennies in fear it would just make it worse. If one was in my shoes, would you do anything with them or keep as? I’m looking at easily $5.00 worth of green coins. Game plan is to eventually place them in mylars, but any tips on what to do with them before I reach that point?
Is oxidation the same as verdigris? http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=68802
There's a product called Verdi-Care that many folks here have used successfully -- it's made by one of the members here, BadThad, and available from Wizard Coin Supply and on eBay. If the coins are common, though, you might be spending more on conservation than the coins are worth (especially since nothing can undo the surface damage, even once you've removed the deposits). It's up to you whether their sentimental value justifies the expense.
