Not just "looks" cleaned, but "is" harshly polished, and not worth your time. There are some coins you may not always be able to tell from a pic - this ain't one of 'em.
I am not sure what causes the black splotches, but they go actually into the surface of the coin even though they almost look like a thin coat of paint. So basically, the splotches aren't coming off without showing damage to the coin. The black splotches would actually be a impurity "like tin or zinc" in the copper planchette reacting with the envirommental chemcals. if it isn't too bad, you might be able to acetone clean the coin. Then stuff it in a raw potato for a while, acetone clean it again, use the darkener solution, and carry it around in your pocket for a year or so to age it back to almost normal.
When I was a kid we used potatoes to power a small electric motor, nowadays they use one potato to power a little LCD clock. So I think the potato cleaning trick is actually a weak electrylosis cleaning system in effect.
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"Bongo hurtles along the rain soaked highway of life on underinflated bald retread tires."
~Wayne
<< <i>looks cleaned... maybe long ago... >>
That was my first thought, the color is wrong.
Knowledge is the enemy of fear
So basically, the splotches aren't coming off without showing damage to the coin.
The black splotches would actually be a impurity "like tin or zinc" in the copper planchette reacting with the envirommental chemcals.
if it isn't too bad, you might be able to acetone clean the coin.
Then stuff it in a raw potato for a while, acetone clean it again, use the darkener solution, and carry it around in your pocket for a year or so to age it back to almost
normal.
When I was a kid we used potatoes to power a small electric motor, nowadays they use one potato to power a little LCD clock.
So I think the potato cleaning trick is actually a weak electrylosis cleaning system in effect.