PVC Toning on Silver Eagles?

Just unpacked about 40 ASE that Dad had squirreled away...first time they've seen the light of day in at least 7 or 8 years.

All of them are in these soft plastic dual flips. Most of them have the same tan-bronze discoloration (occasionally somewhat mottled) but, as in this case, one or two are completely without that toning.

Is this what the PVC disease I've heard about looks like? And why not all of them uniformly toned.

Or else what am I seeing? Obviously I'm ignorant about what I'm looking at...and Dad had no clue, or they'd be loose or in Airtites. Help me understand, please.

Thanks, folks! wlw

 

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I'm not seeing a PVC problem from the images. Maybe it's there? I would give them an acetone bath and put them in fresh holders that you know are PVC free.

 

I'm quite sure that the "tan-bronze discoloration" is normal toning in the packaging shown.
That is not airtight.

PVC contamination shows up as a gooey green gel.
And if it's been there long enough, its removal will show surface damage underneath.

 

OK...Im willing. I'll assume that means immerse each in fresh acetone briefly, remove and allow to air-dry without blotting or wiping. I have new cardboard flips with (acrylic/mylar?) windows that fit these large coins. Anything else I should be aware of before beginning the process?

My ignorance about what PVC contamination looks like...and the odd, flat color & mottling which looks like no desirable toning I have ever seen...led me to pose the query as I did.

Thanks, sincerely. wlw

 

Try just one coin and see what you get. I think most of what we are seeing is toning. If it is just toning, acetone will not change the looks of the coin. The good thing is, acetone will not harm the coin in an way. There are some great threads on this site on the proper way to use acetone.
If you wish to remove toning you would have to use coin dip. Dip will harm your coins if not used properly. Not something most folks should try.

I'm not a big fan of cardboard holders. I would use Saflips. This is a link to the product. https://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/product/saflips-2x2.html

 

After doing the acetone rinse, I would still pat or blot them dry. Let us know how it works.

 

So, it seems there is general agreement that soft flexible PVC flips are bad for long-term storage (beyond a couple of weeks). It seems also to be agreed that the material used in these Saflips (as well as in some other brands), which is Polyethylene Terephthalate, is a good/safe material. What I wonder is whether the non-soft, unplasticized PVC flips are an acceptable choice, for example these https://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/meghrig-archival-vinyl-2x2-coin-flips-box-of-1000.html

I wonder about avoiding PVC damage long-term, also how the resistance to cracking might compare between Polyethylene Terephthalate and the unplasticized PVC.

This is post #1 for me...I have been learning a lot reading this forum!

 

The manufacturer is well known, but there has to be a plasticizer for it to be flexible and clear vinyl. Commonly non-chlorinated vinyls (EVA, PEVA, PVA and PVB) is used for such. It is the chlorine in regular PVC flips that initiates the damage. Polyethylene Terephthalate ( Mylar) is the more protective cover and since it is usually priced higher , it should be used for the very expensive and perhaps better condition coins. Common coins, ones soon to be sold, shipping, etc, could be such non-chlorinated vinyl. IMO. IMO. Jim

Welcome

 

Any residual acetone on the coins will be gone before he can do any patting or blotting. It evaporates in a flash.

 

Depends on how you define a flash. Also, consider evaporating will redeposit anything that the acetone has cleaned off unless it is 100% gone. I really have to post pictures of where I put acetone on a cent and let it dry possibly 10-15 times. It wasn't pretty. Patting with a soft cloth is not wiping!

 

I'm not sure what you actually did.

 

It only turns into the green gel after many years of heat. This is when the chloride begins to react with the metals, not just coat them.

 

Sorry, I put several drops of acetone on a modern cent coin and let it dry. I then repeated this process 10-15 times to see if the evaporation of acetone from the surface of a copper coin would do any damage.

 

That is why when I use acetone my final rinse is a FLOWING rinse pouring fresh acetone over the coin, so it flushes and carries away any remaining contaminants that are dissolved in the acetone remaining on the coin from the next to last rinse.

 

I wouldn't. Acetone will evaporate on its own, very quickly.

 

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 seconds.

Not likely if you swirl the coin in fresh acetone, then swirl it again in more fresh acetone. Or, as Conder101 suggested, pour the fresh acetone over the coin.

I had a couple of bad experiences using acetone on bronze, so I seldom do it any more. Xylene seems to work as well.

No, it's not. But something I wouldn't want to do nonetheless.