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That old guy at the flea market told me to clean a 1798 large cent with olive oil - I ruined it
Honestly I thought he knew what he was talking about because he had a table full of old coins. So I soaked this 1798 large cent I found in a park near Dayton in olive oil for three days. Now it's all pitted and blotchy and worth maybe $10 instead of the $150 I saw similar ones go for. Ngl should have just left it dirty and asked someone in this group first. Has anyone else been given bad cleaning advice that wrecked a find?
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evannelson17d ago
Olive oil is one of the worst things you can put on an old coin. It reacts with the metal over time and leaves that blotchy look you're describing. Next time just use distilled water and a soft toothbrush if anything.
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olivia47817d ago
Hesitate to call it completely ruined, plenty of old coins still have value even with some damage. Yours might still be worth more than you think if you just let it dry out and leave it alone now.
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