need help with my first indian

[Clad the Impaler]

Ok, found my first indian today....VERY poor condition. Date is unreadable, and may be partially eroded due to pitting. Obverse is approx. 2/3rds covered with hard, cementlike crust. I tried soaking it in peroxide, this removed most of the green color, and a tiny amount of the crust, but basically did nothing. I currently have it soaking in isopropyl alcohol in the hope that this will loosen the crust. Any ideas as to how I can clean it without damaging it any more?? I already put a minor scratch in the reverse trying to clean it with a bottle brush that has a wire center . I just want to be able to read the date, and get it as nice as I possibly can, as it's my first indian.....any help or ideas would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks.

 

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[Iron Patch]

Sounds like your time would be better spent looking for your 2nd indian, and hoping it's better. The condition you describe sounds very tough to deal with without destroying the coin. That's just the way it goes with dug coins.

 

[Clad the Impaler]

How right you are, IP!!! I used steel wool on it, basically scrubbing the crust off of the obverse enough to read the date. It's an 1893 w/ SEVERE pitting. Obviously, thanks to the steel wool scraping, it's now trashed . The site I found it on is an old church retreat/camp site that is now private property. It has yielded several indians, several wheats, 2 mercs, 2 seated liberty dimes, and 1 standing liberty quarter that I know of. The site dates to the late 1800s/early 1900s, and we (hunting buddies and I) have found very few modern era clad coins, which I know is a VERY good sign.....

 

[OhioCoinHunter]

I've used electroysis on badly crusted/corroded indian head cents. The process cleaned the coin down to the metal. Most of the time the coin underneath the crud is pitted and brittle. Sometimes a coin is just too far gone to save.

 

[Tuberale]

I sympathize, Clad. (BTW, neat handle!) We've all found wheaties or IH's, especially on the Western coast where acid rain really does a number on copper and iron objects d'art. I do a quick scrub with soap and a toothbrush, and leave 'em as is. Sometimes, just put 'em back into circulation, especially if badly pitted/corroded. Not worth the time to do heroic conservation efforts for a penny worth 15 cents max.