Rodebaugh wrote:Pictures of coin in question please and I may be able to help.
There are 'industry accepted" ways to clean a coin without damaging or lowering value. Otherwise, rule of thumb is: Don't clean coins....let the next owner do it and take the chance of screwing it up.
I've read on some other forums that acetone is usually okay? I've also heard that ultrasonic cleaners are a no-no, but I was at a larger coin shop once, long time ago, and definately heard an ultrasonic running in the back room.
When I first started collecting wheats as a youngster, I took a Brillo pad to a few of them. The old man rolled his eyes back and told me never do it again. I never did, but I think I was in my twenties before he would leave me alone with his Whitman albums.