Found in change

[WillieBoyd2]

The United States still uses Lincoln cents, starting in 1909.

I received this 1912 cent from a change machine at the local
Safeway grocery store in 2010.



Where had it been for 98 years?

[dheer]

Lucky you! Great find 

[Figleaf]

Not so old, but intriguing. What could have happened to Abe? His face is a bit squashed, but the coin is otherwise in reasonable condition.

Peter

[translateltd]

Quite intriguing - I assume that's zinc showing through on the rims and high points where the copper has worn off.  It's suffered some heavy rubbing on those areas, but how?  Clamped in a vice and then released before being compressed out of shape?

[Figleaf]

Other than the copper having come off, the monument side has suffered no damage, but Abe had his facial hair washed. Heavy rubbing seems probable, but I have also thought of a fish monger with acid on her hands.

Peter

[Prosit]

I got this coin change yesterday. Very ugle but it is Silver. It has been so long since I recieved a Silver Quarter in change I dn't even remember when that was. In my collection I have this date in uncirculated condition so this one's condition doesn't bother me.

Dale

[Prosit]

Maybe a good candidate for unholy cleaning experiments 

Dale

[Figleaf]

The red looks like copper. If so, treat with (diluted) vinegar. If it is soil, soak in soapy water. Remove last traces of dirt with a wooden toothpick.

Peter

[JoeYuk]

Back in February I was surprised at this circulation find.  Can't help but
think perhaps a collector spent it to give someone something to find.
I never expect to find one older.

[Quant.Geek]

Now that is a change find!!!    Congrats!

[Prosit]

About the Silver Quarter.

So far I soaked it in soapy water for many hours and used a soft tooth brush on it.
I tried alcohol, denture cleaner and even PVC cleaner which is a fairly harsh chemical.

I tried a tooth pick and then I poked it with a pin to determine hardness of the encrustation and it does come off but if I do more with a pin it will be horribly scratched so I didn't. The toothpick did nothing.

Right now it is soaking in alcohol for a few days.

So far very little improvement.

Next up vinigar and after that some really drastic measures and it all else fails it will go in my crucible to be melted with some other junk silver for a silver slug/ingot.

Dale

[Figleaf]

You got nothing to lose and you're gaining experience. The red may not be dirt, in which case the vinegar may help.

Peter

[Prosit]

Here is what it looks like now. A little improvement but not much.
Dale

[malj1]

It looks  like rust to me from contact with an old tin or perhaps found under the carpet in an old car.

A drastic method to deal with it would be diluted hydrochloric acid dabbed on with a matchstick and washed off quickly.

For this I use soldering flux known as Bakers fluid here which is hydrochloric acid killed with the addition of zinc scraps.

Of course this method does remove the patina 

[Prosit]

It is odd as it only scans red. In hand and even at 20x it looks mostly black. In small hidden spots it has some white stuff on it that looks like calcium carbonate. There is some erosion of the design in spots. Definitely spent some time in a seedy neighborhood 

Dale