Acetone bath

I put the really bad ones in there for fun. I’m really just trying to clean up the better date coins before putting them in 2x2s and tucking them away.

 

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Did you rub that dark one at all to see if anything came off ?

 

Yes, with a q-tip. The tip turned dark but the coin looked pretty much the same. It might be too far gone. It’ll get a distilled water bath tonight. That might help.

 

I’m doing a similar project. Like Doug has suggested long soaks in distilled water seem to be more effective than acetone. After two or three days the water will get a little cloudy and you will see some of the loosened residue floating. I gently roll a q tip that has been dipped in clean distilled water across the coins surface and the rim. Then I flush the coins and the pan with distilled water. I cover the coins with the distilled water and let them soak again. I have tried rolling the q tip daily. If I get some of the gunk off all the better. Either way the coins go back in for more soaking. I am on week two so far.

 

I just got back my first "body-bagged" coin from NGC. It's a Swiss 10 Franc "fighting bulls" commemorative. It was not slabbed due to "residue", with the usual "ideal for conservation" promotional stuff. It's now in acetone. If that fails, xylene.

It sure does look magnificent IN the acetone.

 

As someone herw once told me. Use a rose thorn or was it a nail?! One of the two... But really, don't use either, or do since they are your coins.

 

After reading the advice here on CT and attending the coin grading class which included dealing with problem coins at the ANA convention this past summer, I have been trying my hand at coin conservation.
First I tried distilled water, then acetone, MS70 and Ezest on junk silver, LWC's (no MS 70 or Ezest), clad KHD and Ike dollars with great results. I moved on to junk Peace dollars purchased at estate sales with good results. and I had fantastic results with a WLH that had a bad case of verigus.
I am far from a pro coin conservator but so far I am pleased with the results.

 

Q tip them for sure. Like the first pic bottom middle coin. (the one with no date and dirty feather) that coin deserves a date

 

Sounds like a plan

 

I refuse to ever touch EZest. Have never used it, will never use it.

 

I left a Peace dollar in a jar for 2 weeks... didn't remove what I wanted but didn't do anything to the coin.

I wouldn't be worried about soaking silver

 

Collectors of ancient coins have been known to leave ancients soaking for months, even up to a year. For extended soaks like this (months +) I would use distilled water and change it periodically.

 

Yes, rose thorn. I remember hearing that some years ago.

 

In regards to soaking for months or years- so the acetone does not harm the metal in any way??

And that rose thorn idea makes me cringe...

 

Acetone or water should not harm a coin in the least...as long as they are pure. Do you think you might scratch the metal with a rose thorn?

 

If a cotton cloth can put hairlines on a coin, I would imagine a rose thorn could scratch the surface.

 

I’ve left coins in acetone for over a month. I just rinse under the faucet after and blot dry with a paper towel. I use the q tip soaked in acetone to get the crud off. Usually pvc residue. As to really getting crud off usually with verdicare on copper I use a toothpick a thornapple thorn or make my own pick out of a sliver of hardwood And I get them straight graded routinely

 

You continue to make my case stronger as to why I'm so picky about my coins being absent of hits and marks and displaying original Silver patina. Yikes.

 

I totally forgot to swap them out last night and put in distilled water. I swapped this morning. First photo is pre water pour, second photo is after. I’ll check on them tonight. Need to figure out how to get the loose gunk off without hairlines. Maybe running them under hot water?

 

Reading these posts makes me wonder why TPGs bother to put "cleaned" on some of their slabs.