Cleaning of a 1908-6 Indian head penny YES OR NO?

jog

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bourassa5

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Nov 8, 2008
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my personal opinion is to clean if for a few reasons. First a Indian head penny is not worth too much unless its on of the rarer ones and i don't think that is one and the condition it is in makes it not worth much. If it was me and it happened to me earlier last year when i found an 1860 Indian Pennie. i wanted the penny to look the best possible because i was not going to sell it for a few dollars and did not want it to look like crap. i used a hot hydroperoxide bath, there are people here who can explain it completely to you but in the least its a great find!
 

ok oil

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Mar 22, 2008
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i found one in about the same shape as yours, i put mine in a potato it came out really well. dave.
 

mlayers

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I have used baking soda and vinegar and watch them close...Matt
 

IAsoldier

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ya I say so just go slow
 

Nate in Ohio

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Well that's one's pretty rough but yea if they haven't gotten too eaten up, they can usually clean up very well. As mentioned, when cleaning coins like indians in particular, they need to be approached and evaluated on a case by case basis. The more you try the more you see what works and what doesn't work. Good luck
 

creeper71

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mlayers said:
I have used baking soda and vinegar and watch them close...Matt
above post.. Too much acid in my opinion...

You'll want to heat up some hydrogen peroxide in microwave til it starts to boil drop coin in an watch it... Do NOT STAND OVER COIN AN BREATHE IN FUMES ..IT'S TOXIC!!!!!!!! then what don't come off use a tooth pick with mag glass to pick dirt off an use wet qtips to clean with....
 

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jog

jog

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Well i tried the peroxide dip from the microwave, and this is what i got.Not sure if i will go any more .Is there anything to put on them when your done with them?
 

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creeper71

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after you soak in peroxcide ..you need to soak them in distilled water.. as for your coin it was probly more corroded then you thought so no matter what method you use you would have got the same result....
 

steve from ohio

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Aug 1, 2008
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jog said:
Any body have any ideas on this particular one.Just got finished reading another post on cleaning Indian head Penny's.Is there a right or wrong way,or not at all?
Try this.

I soak my copper in olive oil. Yep that's right. Good old olive oil. Soak it for a few weeks and that green oxidation will come off real easy.

I've done that with an old Large cent and it came out looking really good. Did not take off the old look, but did get rid of the green crud. I now do that with any copper coins I want to keep. It does not destroy the value and is a safe way to clean off that oxidation.

Never rub the coin as it will scratch it. Wash to olive oil off with soap and water and pat dry.

You will be able to just rinse off that stuff after the olive oil soaks in for about 2 or 3 weeks. The olive oil will turn a green color. You can re-use it until it evaporates. Do not put it on a salad after cleaning the coins though!
 

Captn SE

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Do not put it on a salad after cleaning the coins though!

That was funny, Steve! :laughing7: :laughing11:

HH,
CAPTN SE
 

texjim

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i also heard not to use tap water on old copper and brass because the chlorine in the water turns the item red. i found out after the fact on my baby us buckle. Use rain water or spring water. i haven't tried this method myself yet. but good luck and good find.. Tex
 

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