If you rephrase your question as "Which is worse, destruction or damage?" the answer is obvious. Corrosion can destroy a coin, cleaning damages it.
Corrosion disrupts the coins image whereas cleaning only shines up the coin and ruining the coins natural circulated appearance. Corrosion is 2x worse than a cleaned coin to me.
I actually think it's the amount and type of cleaning and corrosion your talking about. Most people I know don't mind a small amount of corrosion as long as it is minor and stopable by sealing it in sonething to stop the corrosion. Similarly with cleaning as to the type and amount. Very light cleaning with a high grade of Acetone is so minor it can be ignored. Cleaning with baking soda and a toothbrush or dipping in battery acid can really devaluate any coin.
Corrosion is worse, but cleaning can be every bit as bad -- depends who did it and to what extent it was done. Personally, I'd prefer neither and would just wait for a better coin. If I had to choose, I'd choose the cleaned coin provided it was done well...Mike
I have an 1858 Seated quarter with green corrosion from a PVC flip. If I have it out of the flip now. Should I dip it in Acetone or just leave as is. I hate the green I see and would like to stop and further corrosion. Any opinions?
There isn't any buts about that...you must dip that in Acetone....the "green" PVC will just eat the coin away pretty much. Speedy
Just make sure it is 100% PURE Acetone....and DON'T rub the coin...just place the Actone in something like a cup and place the coin in that for a about 30sec...take it out (Please don't get Acetone on your skin) and poor water over the coin...don't pat dry...just letit air dry....if the green PVC doesn't come off try it again...sooner or later it will. Speedy
That's completely in your hands. If you follow Speedy's instructions, and totallyavoid rubbing the coin, there should be no effect on the metal. Of course, if the PVC corrosion has already started, removing the green gunk may reveal metal damage, which will lower the value; but if you don't get it off of there the coin will eventually become completely worthless. I would supplement Speedy's advice by recommending distilled or deionized water for the rinses (at least two, and three is better) to get all traces of the acetone off the coin. BTW did you become an Edgar Rice Burroughs fan by reading the original pulp magazines stories? There were some great covers on those rags in the '30s, portraying the lovely Princesses in peril.
Dipping which is typically done to remove toning/tarnish/rust, or whatever you wish to call it, reactivates the metal. It will tone again only faster and possibly in a way you find even less appealing than before. Yes toning, eats into metal especially dark toning. So does dipping and you don't know who's done it before or how many times. Done enough times dipping burns away the flow-lines and you lose the luster, the very thing most people who dip coins were trying to get more of--Poetic Justice. :desk:
That is considdered cleaning a coin...so yes....if it leaves hairlines or any way showing that it was removed...it will lower the value...but it won't lower the value as much as it would if you just left the PVC on it. Speedy
