Clean or not to clean ?

Bought these four coins with not sure if toning or just dirty. In either case I don't like the appearance. Since these are very nice un-circulated coins I am temped to at least put them into a acetone wash. Do you think this will remove the toning and improve the appearance ? What would you do ?

Dave

 

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Acetone wouldn't hurt the coin. Worth a try Dave.

 

Acetone, always, anyway. You never know whether the coins have been exposed to PVC and just haven't "turned" yet. The only caveat is for genuinely dirty coins - in the traditional sense of "dirty" - where you might end up removing dirt which then exposes a "cleaner" surface which hasn't patinated at the same rate as the rest of the coin.

 

Thanks you guys, into the wash they go, at first the Canadian 50 cent piece to see what happens.

 

I had great results soaking cents and nickles in acetone, actually even getting rid of fingerprints but never used it on silver!!

 

Washa washa washa...acetone

 

Yeah - Canadian 80% silver - IF that works then why not try the 90%'s - remember, acetone is highly flammable so I soak them outside on the porch then bring in to rinse with distilled water . although a few time I just rinsed under tap water and the coins showed no problems!!

 

Acetone does NOT remove toning or strip away luster in my experience.

 

Right - it removes "gunk" including acids from fingerprints as long as they are on the surface of the coin and not "eating/etched" in to the surface.

 

http://www.lincolncentforum.com/for...0-The-First-Steps-to-Proper-Coin-Conservation

 

I would give them a bath and a good rinse.

 

JMHO, but it seems like a waste of good acetone (or whatever you end up doing to them.) For what it's worth I see what looks like two different sets of coins. The first set of photos show coins that, while you may be able to stop any further deterioration, will never be attractive no matter how much conservation is done to them (they have that "camouflage" look to them.) The second set make the coins look much, much worse...not even uncirculated. Possibly metal detecting finds. So, not sure if it's your photos or if it's the coins...but to me, those are lost causes. Now, if you're doing it for "research" (to see what effect your methods have) or "practice," have at them.

Otherwise, IMO it's a waste of time and conservation materials.

But, this is just one man's opinion.

 

Your opinions count. That is what this forum is all about.

 

You can put just about anything in acetone without ill effect. The only thing I don't use acetone on are restrikes that were clear coated from the mint.

 

Then put them into PVC flips. Who cares?

 

Is there a liquor bottle with an opening large enough for a silver dollar? I say drink that tonight and chuck them in there (as a better, more relaxing solution.)

The OP asked if acetone would remove the toning (it won't) or if it would improve the appearance (probably, but not enough to markedly improve their appearance, especially given that the coins look pretty rough in the second set of images), and then what would we do. Yes, acetone will arrest the PVC process, but IMO, no, it won't "fix" the way those coins look. So, to me, a waste of good acetone. I would personally auction those coins off and use the money to buy something else. But I still wouldn't put them back into PVC flips again (because I don't own any - when I buy coins that were in them, they go where they belong...in the trash can.)

 

Nope......but there's a bourbon glass I have that will accommodate.......but I ain't putting acetone in it.

 

I guess that's just for the hardcore numismatists, right?

 

Never knew one who drank acetone.......