Value Of 1942 Half Penny + How To Clean?

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Hey guys, I just found this 1942 Half Penny in my backyard. It was literally on the surface eroding out of the dirt. I was walking along and saw a round coin shaped thing in the dirt, picked it up and sure enough it was a 1942 Half Penny. No metal detector required :D

The front is mostly visible, but the back is still covered in dirt. It looks like it would come off though with the right treatment. How do I go about cleaning this coin and what is it's value? I read that they only minted some 700 000 in 1942 but then in 1943 they minted 33 000 000. So it would seem it is among the rarer HP's. How can I clean it (especially the back) without damaging it?

I ran a little water over it just to wipe some loose dirt off but only a little.

Cheers guys.

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Is there a dot after the Y in Penny? The pics appear to have the dot but hard to tell with it being dirty. If it has the dot it is a Bombay mint and worth bullion value (few cents) if no dot then is a Melbourne mint and worth a couple of dollars at best as will be corroded and damaged from being in the ground.

You can buy a Fine Melbourne Mint '42 Half Penny on ebay for under $5 - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/130903877417
 
Yeah I agree with Ben78, unfortunately it's not worth very much at all. In terms of cleaning it, your best best is warm soapy water and toothbrush but it probably wont do much. From personal experience, cleaning copper coins is a waste of time as you tend to do more damage than good. Some will suggest using electrolysis but I've never used it myself.
 
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