Cleaning large cent with verdigris

Mikey48

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Joined
Aug 29, 2016
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722
Location
Michigan
Found my first large cent last tuesday and was very excited. I brought it home and put it in water to soak for a few hours and then used a toothpick to clean the surface to see what was under the mud. When the mud was first removed it was pretty bright, but it has darkened a lot and is harder to see the detail even though the coin has very little wear. I'm leery of using coin cleaners or even peroxide. It seems like the verdigris should be removed or at least neutralized, but I have no experience with cleaning up old copper.
Photos of the coin are attached. Advice is welcomed.

First two photos on blue countertop are of the coin dry right after initial cleaning. The second two are today, three days later after exposure to air.
 

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I agree with everyone so far...stop right there! It’s very easy to go too far with old copper!

Here’s one of the best videos I’ve seen to demonstrate the effects of various cleaning techniques on old copper coins:

 
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