Fun fact: the Freeport high school mascot is the Pretzels. On the topic of patina, I'll take the coin collector perspective: dirt adds nothing other than dirt, and removing dirt removes nothing of value. Rubbing, however small or soft, will always scratch the surface, though. That makes the surface unoriginal and less desirable. But it's yours and was the right price, so who cares? I saw a video earlier this year about an extremely nice coin that the owner did something to, dropping it's value by 90%. My recollection is the owner bought the 1850 gold double eagle ($20 coin) for $110,000, and the video was from a dealer hoping to sell it for $10-$12,000.The tall one in the center says “FURST – McNESS CO; FREEPORT, ILL.”
Yeah. The glass on this one is pretty beat up, but in a way that makes it look pretty. Still, to keep from harming it more I'm cleaning it real softly, with just vinegar and water. I think the gunk on the inside is caked in mud or clay or something. I'd be willing to bet $10 it was found at the bottom of a river. I'm hoping that it'll soak enough that by Wednesday, I can clean it enough to post better shots to Pubski. As for the coins, I've heard plenty of horror stories like that before. That's part of the reason when I buy stuff, I buy stuff that's worth a little something cause it looks good, but not so much I'd have to worry about responsibility, ruining something, etc. I can't imagine what I'd feel knowing I devalued something.