Remove Haze From Proofs

Sometimes those proofs were in plastic and that toning happens over time. It even happens in those cello packs us mint and proof sets were in, depending on storage environment. I would add that while dipping in ezest might remove haze like the stuff on your coin, it will come at a cost. The dip would have to be strong or otherwise immerse the coin for more than a second to diminish such spots. This will also affect luster to some degree. I'd rather leave that kind of haze on a coin instead of stripping off minute amounts of surface metal, which is what occurs.

 

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I'm sure that others have replied by now, but I couldn't even keep reading the thread after this. DO NOT WHIPE A PROOF COIN EVER! This is just bad advice.

There is a good dip to remove the haze, but please just try them on a few run to the mill 80s proofs before working on a mercury proof. Enough of them have already been ruined by "concervation".

What year is the merc?

 

1941.

 

I wasn't going to dip it. It isn't terrible on the coin and I don't want to take the chance of ruining it. maybe in like 30 years it will rainbow tone

 

Good or bad it was just advice...and you didnt read the rest of my follow-up. If I kept you from even reading the rest of this thread...then I have magical powers I was not aware of. ANY type of removal of any haze is STILL destroying tiny micro layers of the composition of the metal. You might want to try spell check before you are critical on others as I am not sure if you could actually "Whipe" a proof coin. LOL.

 

I watched a gentleman remove milk spots on a 10oz Lunar II Tiger silver coin. It was on the frosted field and proof portrait. He used a Jewelers cloth, delicately and switching the cloth when discolored. He zoomed in on the youtube video and he and I couldn't see anything, but to its original state. Toning is a different story. I have a numismatic coin with a small spot of toning on the rim and half on the field. I will try a mini dip and or q-tip attempt. It a '54 Mexican Hidalgo silver coin/round.

 

Stupid auto correct strikes again!

My point was that there are proper and improper ways to clean a coin. Rubbing a proof coin in any way would bring the grade down considerably. It is hard to relay how delicate the surface of a proof coin is, but a very slight rub could bring the grade from a 70 to a 60 very quickly. I understand that removing the frost (corrosion) from the surface of the coin will always be noticeable, but a dip (if properly done) will not change the grade of a proof, just make it a bit more attractive. There is a chance that the grade could actually go up because of heightened eye appeal as well.

 

Mr Clean and Steel Wool would do the trick nicely, but obviously you destroy the desirability, and thus value of the coin. I would never, and I mean never, attempt to remove haze from a Proof Mercury Dime that is over 70 years old. That is foolishness of the first order.

 

I agree with the general sentiment of the rest of the posters here. The most I'd do to a coin like that is give it a soak in acetone. However unlikely it is to work, it's also not going to hurt the coin.

In the likely event that it didn't work, and I wanted to have the haze removed, I'd consider sending it off to NCS for conservation. Otherwise, I'd either keep the coin as is or sell it and buy coins I liked better.

 

EZest works well on silver proofs and is unlikely to do any harm if done properly. They have very detailed instructions for use and it's not hard at all. I haven't had the best of luck with acetone, it tends to dull the coins from my experience.

 

Don't dunk it yourself,let the tpg do it and you should get a legit grade.....

 

Does anyone know how much conservation costs? Is it a flat fee or a percentage of the value?

 

DO NOT DO THIS WITH ANY COIN THAT HAS COLLECTOR VALUE.

Jewelry wipes are impregnated with a compound called "rouge." This is an abrasive, and any use on a coin WILL leave hairlines. These hairlines are absolutely visible to the naked eye, will impair luster, and ruin a proof coin. The abrasive is very good at polishing silver - which is great when you're talking about your grandma's tea kettle, terrible when you're talking about coins. Old time collections (and many 19th century proofs) are covered in hairlines for exactly this reason.

 

Here is the coin discussed. Just got in the mail today. Maybe get a PR65 with this haze?

 

I would leave that coin alone. Too nice to "re-shine" it.

 

Well, like I said, I think I'd either send it to NCS or just send it in to PCGS and flip it. That's me, though.