Coin cleaning. An acceptable way?

You are both correct! Scotch tape! No noticeable patina problems. The coins were all circulated. After 40 years, the tape was so dried out, brown and brittle it just fell off the pages of the book and coins. But the glue residue remains on the coins. I'm glad I didn't contact cement or epoxy them into the books! Acetone.....here we come.

 

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First try putting them into some boiling water and then rinse with distilled water. Less chance of damage.

 

Acetone offers zero chance of damage. What could be less than zero?

 

Thank you both very much!

 

Where the heck is @TJ1952

 

I think he got banned.

 

Yeah, Brillo pads with Comet cleanser.

 

What are you talking about? Obviously you need a really teeny tiny little jackhammer. It cycles so fast it sounds like a mosquito on steroids.

 

Clean coins? One word, "don't." One exception is acetone, doesn't effect any of coin metals, but does a good job with tape, PVC grime, etc. Just wash the coin in a cold water rinse and use a microfiber cloth to dab dry after use.

 

In other words, an ultrasonic cleaner.

 

ive run into this problem a few times. When i saw the tape on the coins, blue goo was underneath the tape and on the coins. This was indicative of PVC exposure. If they were in contact with tape for many years, id imagine they are damaged by PVC. If you roll a q tip soaked in acetone across the coin and it turns bright blue, there's your pvc. Ive saved some coins from PVC but other times the blue grime could not be removed without also taking off some of the metal. I think with ancients it is necessary to remove active corrosion so the rot doesn't spread (bronze disease?) but ive also seen ancients with a nice blue patina that is left intact. I'm a little confused i guess. Maybe the tone of the blue tells you what you're dealing with

 

Yeah, but with the jet of liquid fuels exhaust, it's REALLY cool looking.

 

Yeah that would be one "Hot" item to sell though.

 

One word for you - asbestos. I just love getting the millennials all worked up.

 

No, no that's "abalone".