Personally, I don't mind the way the coin looks in the picture. If it was mine I wouldn't clean it...unless there are unsightly encrustations that obscure the legend and features.
I couldn't agree more. One must remember that these "unattractive" smudges and slight encrustations contain the
history of this coin. Someday you may want to know where the coin came from, if it is a
hoard coin, the soil can give a pretty
good idea where it was stashed. The
patina, unless completely obscuring the coin is , IMHO, a true indication of age, and sometimes your"desert patinas"..etc..can be very attractive. Personal preference really, I just thought I would throw in my two cents.