Large One Cent Piece Today!!!

lostlake88 · Jan 7, 2008

My first large cent, dated 1835. 08' has been good so far. Found this really old silver cross with jade inlay, this has a european mark of some sort on the back. Couple 40's nickels, the usual wheats some Rosies, another cross, and an ols pocket knife. How do you clean the large cent pieces

? Thanks for looking.

Kas · Jan 7, 2008

Nice work. Looks like toy had a good day.

Cleaning an LC is safest and best with the peroxide method.

The link to how to do it is over at the coin discussion board/cleaning.

In short, heat peroxide in microwave in glass, don't heat too long. put coin in and watch it fizz. When peroxide cools do again until coin is clean to where you're happy.
See here:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,39135.0.html

vpone · Jan 7, 2008

lostlake,

read my post on my blunders of cleaning large cents
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,132594.0.html

if you DO decide to clean it be careful not to leave it in too long ... i have to say, i'm not sure i'll ever clean another copper coin again (unless it's completely gone already)

yours looks to have some nice detail (for being that old) be prepared to possibly loose it if you mess up - just a friendly word of advice

take care,

vp
bone dry detecting

dgaughan · Jan 7, 2008

awesome finds you really got a good start going good luck and hh

Cannonman17 · Jan 7, 2008

Nice score! It's your coin and you do what you want but I wouldn't clean it no way no how. I would rather have one "natural" coin like yours than ten shiny cleaned ones.

LI Tom · Jan 7, 2008

Real nice finds,a LC with detail and some silver!!

Evolution · Jan 7, 2008

Congrats on the Large cent. They are always fun to find.

incajoe · Jan 7, 2008

Is that a die break behind the head? Looks like an error coin to me! Nice find.

ModernMiner · Jan 7, 2008

Congrats on some great finds.
If my LC looked that good, I would leave it as is. You can read the date fine. I wouldn't risk it.
-MM-

Don in SJ · Jan 7, 2008

vpone said:
lostlake,

read my post on my blunders of cleaning large cents
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,132594.0.html

if you DO decide to clean it be careful not to leave it in too long ... i have to say, i'm not sure i'll ever clean another copper coin again (unless it's completely gone already)

yours looks to have some nice detail (for being that old) be prepared to possibly loose it if you mess up - just a friendly word of advice

take care,

vp
bone dry detecting

I have posted many times and have cleaned more large cents and colonial coppers than most have even seen and cleaning the dirt off does not ruin the coin, if you see detail and it comes off with the dirt removal, the coin was already ruined and only being held together by dirt and corroded metal. Leaving the coin dirty and unidentifiable makes no sense at all, and by the way, the coin in this post looks cleaned already to me. Blame the farmers fertilizers, acid soil, acid rain, cow pee

, but not the cleaning methods.
Next time you say you ruined a coin cleaning it, post good before and after photographs and we can discuss what happened and why. I have many, many examples of before and after photographs and have seen it all on good, bad and ugly, but never would I say not to clean a dirty old copper coin. Remember, we are talking about removing dirt, not polishing.

Don

topdog · Jan 7, 2008

Congrats on finding the Large Cent and Silver Strike. Crosses like awesome, thanks for sharing.

bedpanmoneyman · Jan 7, 2008

Gotta love those LC finds

Cannonman17 · Jan 7, 2008

Don in South Jersey said:
vpone said:

lostlake,

read my post on my blunders of cleaning large cents
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,132594.0.html

if you DO decide to clean it be careful not to leave it in too long ... i have to say, i'm not sure i'll ever clean another copper coin again (unless it's completely gone already)

yours looks to have some nice detail (for being that old) be prepared to possibly loose it if you mess up - just a friendly word of advice

take care,

vp
bone dry detecting

Click to expand...

I have posted many times and have cleaned more large cents and colonial coppers than most have even seen and cleaning the dirt off does not ruin the coin, if you see detail and it comes off with the dirt removal, the coin was already ruined and only being held together by dirt and corroded metal. Leaving the coin dirty and unidentifiable makes no sense at all, and by the way, the coin in this post looks cleaned already to me. Blame the farmers fertilizers, acid soil, acid rain, cow pee , but not the cleaning methods.
Next time you say you ruined a coin cleaning it, post good before and after photographs and we can discuss what happened and why. I have many, many examples of before and after photographs and have seen it all on good, bad and ugly, but never would I say not to clean a dirty old copper coin. Remember, we are talking about removing dirt, not polishing.

Don

In general, for people who are not coin collectors or have experience with it it's a bad idea. Warm water... no, that's not bad but people have a tendancy to take it to the extreme in which case it is a bad thing. The local dealers junk box is always filled with improperly cleaned coins and nobody wants them. I would agree more so with a coin that is unidentifiable in which case you don't have anything to lose but this one isn't THAT bad.. readable date and all... little rinse in the water might help. I think your last sentence really says it all though... talking about removing dirt, not polishing but polishing is exactly what many people end up doing. On a seperate note, I think some before and after cleaning pics of coins under a new thread in the coins section would be great-

TnT2000 · Jan 7, 2008

nice Large cent its nice when you can read the date and decent detail...largies are one of my favorate coins, Not sure why but I like coppers.. or as the bone dry boys would say....coppas...

Don in SJ · Jan 7, 2008

Cannonman17

I would love to post several of my before and after photos, but not sure where, but was thinking maybe since I am a charter member to create a gallery(in the Galleries section) of them and then somehow post elsewhere to let people know where to look. I don't want to post them if they do not get the exposure needed for education purposes. And yes I will post bad ones besides the majority that are good ones and explain why they cleaned up badly. I did btw say that the coin in this post looked already clean; and it does not really need any further major cleaning.

Don

civilman1 · Jan 7, 2008

I like it just the way it is....But it's your's.Congrat's on all the nice find's and HH!!

SilverFox167 · Jan 7, 2008

Oh What A Feeling...
Congratulations on your first large cent.
Looks pretty good.
Your spots paid off.
HH.
Rob

Kas · Jan 7, 2008

The coin is G-4 at best, and with corrosion and being a dug coin you might get 12.00 for it.

If you want to clean it, clean it. You aren't going to loose much.

The peroxide will take some of the ugly corrosion off.

I cleaned this coin with peroxide bath. This pic is a before cleaning. The coin came out with even more detail than shown in this pic.