1894 Penny value?

[Guest Will]

Hi, I recently acquired a bunch of old coins and I looked them all up on ebay and only this one seems to be of any value. It is a 1984 one penny coin and looks to be in quite good condition although it has gone a rather dark shade of brown. Is this actually worth anything, and if so, how much? I know nothing about coins so any information on this coin would be very helpful. Also, I know this site says not to clean them, but does that just mean don't use chemicals or something, or can I wash it with soap and water?

High res pictures of the coin are here:

http://i3.tinypic.com/w1pbq0.jpg

http://i3.tinypic.com/w1peh5.jpg

Thanks, -Will

[Chris Perkins]

It's not a bad one is it. Grades around GVF-NEF I'd say. Unfortunately its collectability is drastically reduced by the green bit on the obverse. If it were mine I'd probably price it at £15.00 but wouldn't expect it to fly of the shelf that quickly because most collectors don't want verdigris (because it can spread to other coins). Without the green bit i'd price it perhaps around £50.00

The green bit may be removable if you've caught it early enough, but even if it is it will leave an unpleasant dark mark at the very least.

[Guest Guest]

Thanks for the info, how would I go about removing the verdigris, or is it better left to the professionals?