What would you guys recommend to clean a copper/silver shell set? I know that coin collectors say to never clean coins because you WANT a nice patina. In the case of my Lassen copper/silver set though, the patina on the copper shell is so bad you can't even read it anymore, it's also getting a bit green.

A cup filled with vinegar and some salt stirred in. Put the coins in and in a few minutes they are shiny clean.

I think it was on this forum that someone had a recipe for a solution that would remove a little patina, but keep the shine away.

I got an email from Mad Jake a while ago, recommending 2 parts water and 1 part baking soda. Rub in a circular motion until it cleans up a little, then wash it when you get the desired color.

Coin collectors say never to clean a coin because it immediately destroys its collectible value.
I prefer a good dark patina on copper coins as it contrasts better with the silver. A bright shiny copper might not look too much different from silver.
The green isn't necessarily so good... maybe a VERY light abrasive to remove the green? In most cases I've seen copper coins turning green it was because they were kept in a leather purse/pouch/holder where the leather was in direct contact with the coins (not lined).
That said, I did just shine up the brass "Miracle Enjoyment" coins in my Lassen CSB set with some Brasso. They look better that way and the hole is enough to set them apart from the others.

I don't see any problem with cleaning the coins to a shine. Avoiding cleaning to a shine is a collector issue, and we aren't collectors and the coins aren't collectibles. I prefer watching shiny coins too.

Some people deal with soft coins.
A shiny old soft coin seems.....tricky

I have used soft walkers for many years and have always shined my coins. I have never had anyone question why an old worn out coin was so shiny. I guess they just figure it is so they can see them better. Even when I have handed one or two out (to someone who has never seen an old half before) unless they were collectors, they never questioned it. I shine all of my halves and English pennies. I also shine all my Morgans but went with a darker patina (out of a bottle) on the copper dollar size "coins" (copper rounds) I use with them.

As Tom G said above a little baking powder/bicarbonate of soda mixed with a little water to make a paste works wonders. Just rub the coins and paste between your fingers then rinse and repeat until you get the desired effect. For a patina a quick dip in diluted liver of sulphur is very effective.

I did not like the patina on my lassen copper miracle enjoyment coins.

So I started over. Placed lemon juice in a paper cup and placed the coins in it. let it sit for a few minutes. Swirl it around if you want. The coins were shiny and new in minutes. then I started the natural patina process all over by handling the coins every day.

Cal

You could clean silver side (and any silver coin)with those jewellery towels.....look for them at Amazon or just ask on any jewel store for them. They use it for polish and clean silver, gold or any other metal.