Phil S

Hi, I'm looking for advice on cleaning this coin. I found it a couple of years ago in a paddock in Victoria Australia, covered in dirt. I took it home to Melbourne and soaked it in a glass of water and scrubbed it with a toothbrush, getting enough dirt off to read VICTORIA and see it wasn't in very good condition. Since the rest of the dirt wasn't coming off easily, I put it in a drawer and forgot it. I came across it yesterday tidying up the drawer, and out of curiousity scratched away at the dirt with a fingernail enough to uncover the date - 1860. "That's old" I thought, so I did a google search and discovered there are a lot of varieties of 1860 pennies, and this site. Looking at the coin, the way the dirt came away from the edges suggests its a beaded edge. I'd like to work out what variety the coin is, but first I need to get the dirt off properly. It's very fine dirt (silt?) and seems almost baked on. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks Phil

Thanks for the replies (sorry if this post should be in beginners). I had a go with the cotton buds and water. Unfortunately for me, the reverse is in worse condition than what I could see of the obverse. If I didn't know it was a penny I'm not sure I could even read penny on the coin However, it's definitely beaded both sides. Its only possible to make out the lighthouse in the right light and when you know its there, and the ship can't be made out at all. Its a shame the middle prong of the trident isn't one of the distinguishing features I guess I'll never know the actual variety of the coin or its rarity, but its been fun finding something from half way around the world and 150 years old and learning about it. Here's a couple more photos for anyone curious. Cheers Phil