Question related to acetone cleaning

And what about coins made of different materials (aluminium, stainless steel, zinc etc.) Is the mentioned procedure (distilled water then acetone) proper one for these coins as well?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

The most common coins to try cleaning on are copper and silver. Other materials get tricky. Haven't had notable success with any of these.

 

Great advice being shared here. And let me note that I've had some 1860's Italian silver coins soaking in pure Acetone for weeks at a time with no adverse affects.

 

This is a great topic. I first soak the copper penny in solvent to loosen foreign objects dirt deep in letters and crevasses and dates of the coin. This does not change the coins tone of the naturally aging. Then I soak in acetone( A DEGREASER ONLY) to remove the oil and grease from the solvent. I do not touch the coin from then on. After drying with a cotton towel I look at it under my microscope for dirt and if seen I remove with a wooden tooth pick if I can. If it can't be removed I leave it as it is probably natural corrosion. To finish for protection I rub in White Lithium Grease and then rub it off with a cotton towel. My only question is how this will effect the copper penny in years to come.

 

Welcome to CT.
You really don't want to clean your coins like this. It's going to kill the value of the coin. You should not rub coins with anything.

 

Thanks. When putting coins in distilled water/acetone, do you do that with bare fingers or you wear some kind of gloves? I am afraid if I use coin tweezers that the plastic parts will dissolve in acetone a little bit, making the whole procedure useless. I heard somebody putting coins in jars using wooden chop sticks, but not sure if that is wise either.

 

I use bare fingers for water and acetone, but nitrile gloves and baskets for the "hard stuff".

 

If you don't recommend using baskets, what would be suitable to put acetone in?

 

Glass.

 

Shot glasses work well.

 

But they have to be closed somehow, right?

 

Some people use small Mason jars with seal-able lids.

 

I like to gently roll a cotton Q-tip over the surfaces, never putting a dirty swab into clean solvent. This will help pull up grime. NEVER-EVER wipe or swirl. Just roll. That way you won't scratch the coin's surface.

 

I cover the shot glass with a glass lens from an old flashlight.

 

Use an old 'relish' or 'pickel' jar (glass).

 

Small bowls work great. You can grab the coin by the edges with your fingers and swish it around before moving it.

 

FYI.... the rubber gasket on canning jars will last about a week with acetone closed up in them.