1812 LC green patina covered with dirt.

[Bartek]

Dug this 1812 large cent, looks like good detail is there under that crust of old dirt. Any suggestions on removing the junk without ruining the coin

My first Large Cent!!

Thanks guys!

 

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[doninbrewster]

What a beauty! It looks like most of the crud has come off and it appears the rest will too with a little time. Personally, I wouldn't waste the money on "restoration" as I've seen some coins damaged this way and as far as sending it out for grading, don't waste your money. As far as I'm concerned, when it comes to early copper the grading services that aren't very good and in some cases are downright wrong. Here's a link to a 1785 Connecticut that is slabbed as an "African Head" variety and it is so obvious that it is not. This one is one of the more blatant examples of a blunder as the collector who owned this coin at one time had actually written on the coin exactly what it was, a M.3.4-F.1. The African Head variety is a M.4.1-F.4 or M.4.2-F.6. 1785 COPPER Connecticut Copper, African Head--Museum | Lot #7021 | Heritage Auctions

 

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[g-olden years]

Congrats on beautiful large cent!

I know nothing about cleaning copper coins, but it's beautiful just as it is. Any further work on your coin is guaranteed to change it, maybe for better but maybe for worse. It's a mellow old coin now, lovely. Advise you put it on display now! Andi