I have had this 1923-s buf for some time, and it is covered in what appears to be a layer of burgundy paint. I was looking at it closely, and thought I could see a full horn, so I (don't gasp out loud) gave is a quick wash in acetone to see if a layer of paint would come off. Well, it did, and after I was sure I could see a full horn (flat but full). Now, this could be a valuable coin, but I need to get that paint off. I need advise. What should I do, and how do I get paint off? The question is whether this is a nice XF buf, or possibly a poorly struck AU. I bought it for $1, so I am very curious to see what I really have.
Pure acetone is harmless to non-copper coins. (There is some controversey regarding copper/bronze.) If an acetone wash took off part of the paint, a brief soak will probably finish the job. Just be sure to give it a couple of followup washes to carry away any contaminant residue, and a final rinse in distilled or deionized water, and air dry on a soft cloth. Good luck!
You might try Methyl Ethyl Ketone. It does not react with copper or carbon steel, but I can find nothing on nickel alloys or silver. Test it on a common coin first.
you also might try pure 100% vinegar. get the coin wet with water, and then dip it in baking soda, and drop the coin in a very small (shotglass) of vinegar, then grab it out quickly and wash it off. You might have this to work for you.. i tried it and it works great.
Put it back in acetone for about a half hour... and not much more paint came off! Gonna have to try some of the other solutions tonight. I'm just dying to know exactly what condition this coin is. AU minimum, unless the paint is also hiding porosity, or some major surface defect. Not that it is such a valuable coin, but I love finding out that a 'junk' coin is actually a nice one.
Try some xylol, and place it in a closed jar, otherwise it will evaporate extremely fast. It should work wonders.
Or he could just use a belt sander to get the paint off! That wouldn't damage the coin any more than putting it into acid while covered in wet sodium bicarbonate! ...and yes that was sarcasm, but seriously, I know that you don't have a problem with harshly cleaned coins, but most of the rest of us do. I know that you wish that we didn't mind harshly cleaned coins, but we do and it is unlikely that you are going to sway our opinions.
Richard01, I am not sure that you want to know where to get it but the definition and warning are below! Definition for Xylene and Xylol - (xy·lene Pronunciation (z-ln, zln) also xy·lol (zlôl, -ll): 1. Any of three flammable isomeric hydrocarbons, C6H4(CH3)2, obtained from wood and coal tar. 2. A mixture of xylene isomers used as a solvent in making lacquers and rubber cement and as an aviation fuel. Warning: Xylene Cancer Lawsuits Diseases such as aml leukemia can be caused by Xylene and Benzene exposure. Workers may be entitled to large money awards. National Law firm, free advice. For more information go to: www.benzene-aml-leukemia.com Frank
Richard01, There are quite a few chemicals that will remove paint and if you can find nothing else that will work without damage to the coin, then I would suggest some good ole Premium Unleaded Gasoline! I would recommend testing the Gasoline on a very poor condition Buffalo Nickel first to see if it becomes discolored or otherwise damaged. If no damage occurs to the test Buffalo Nickel, then I believe that a soaking overnight in Gasoline should loosen the paint enough for easy removal. I would suggest using a green Rose thorn for removing any hard to get to or stubborn paint as the thorn should not scratch, gouge or leave marks on the coin but again test the thorn on the test Buffalo Nickel first. Frank
Oh yea! I wanna get some of that! Just what I want to handle to get this $30 coin in the best shape possible...
Richard01, I am sure that zaneman meant no harm as many Painters and others have used the stuff for years and years! Some apparently make no connection to the stuff and their' hair filling the bathtub drain! LOL!!!!!! Frank
Xylol (also known as Xylene) may be slightly carcinogenic but there are naturally occuring carcinogenc compounds in carrots that are more powerful than xylol and you are more likely to die from toxins found in peanuts than cancer from Xylol. (Unless of course you are drinkin it in large quantities or spending all your time in a closed room withit in an open container. Personally I've never found Xylol to be as an effective solvent as acetone. but it is an effective organic solvent. My second choice after acetone for safe powerful organic solvent is Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK). Don't drink this one either. All three of these are available in the paint department at Wal-Mart and probably most other hardware stores.
As someone who works in the Chemistry area, a few words of advice. 1. Don't even think of using vinegar (acetic acid) with or without baking soda. This will affect the surface layer of the coin and most experts can easily see that this was done. This would significantly degrade the coin's condition in the eyes of most collectors. 2. Acetone, MEK and Xylene all have hazards and should be used in well ventilated areas. Be sure there are no other ingredients (such as using finger nail polish remover which is primarily acetone, but has other ingredients) that may contaminate surfaces. Most gasolines would have these types of concerns. If you must clean, I would stick with a dip in acetone followed by distilled water rinse and air dry.
