Last 2 pictures I'll post because I'm beyond bad at photographing coins....as you are all aware of by now.
The rims are important, but they are way down the list of importance when it comes to the diagnostics. If the diagnostics and known markers are absent it doesn't matter if the rims are sharp enough to cut your finger. No diagnostics, no Matte. There are millions of business strike Lincolns with MPL type rims.
Wouldn't the matte finish would be on the surface and not the rim? Here is your coin with other 1909 VDB proof coins.
Nothing to apologize for until you show it in a slab. Why can you show so many clear pictures of the rim but not one of the die markers?
You have the capability to show them. Put the coin flat and take some photos of both sides. Get them in focus, set your camera so it takes the largest size image and snap the photo. The photo will enlarge when we click on it. As long as the photo is in focus the diagnostics will show up if they are there. Be sure to have good light. All the diagnostics should easily be visible.
DIY restoration? I don't think that's the way PCGS does it, but your way is certainly quicker and cheaper
You need to back the camera off a little bit. I suspect you are too close. The photo will get larger when we click on it. In order to see the gouge next to the M in UNUM (provided it's there) you may need to rotate the coin a little at a time until the gouge becomes visible. The photos you just provided looked like the ones you've already posted. Also take a photo of Abe and the field in front of him.
I agree with you - scrubbing valuable coins with acetone and Q-tips is not the way to go, but I do work on my circulated 90% silver dimes, quarters and halves like that - I give the PVC affected 'greenies' and painted jukebox quarters a soak in acetone overnight, wipe them clean with an acetone-soaked Q-tip and wash again in hot soapy water, air dry and add them to my clean coins - I recently bought $100 FV of Washington quarters and about 25 of the 400 were discolored by PVC contact (an unusually high percentage, as I seldom get more than two or three 'greenies' in my bulk coin bags)
Looks even more like a business strike now. Also the cheekbones alone say 50 is way too high of a grade.
After acetone soak #2, hours of restoration work, and looking at it under intense magnification.......I can see all L.D.S. die markers, original Matte luster is now more present, die scratches on the nose itself are now visible, die polish lines more prevalent, and rim cuds/die cracks match all L.D.S. examples of the V.D.B. M.P.L. Here are some pictures after it's second acetone bath and restoration job. I stand by my original guess of PR50 no Details, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a PR53 grade on it's eventual slab.....as the last bath it received made the detailed strike "pop" slightly more now in my personal opinion. Also colorful natural toning is now much more proof looking! This specimen has a nice Matte blue toning! Imagine how this coin would look if not impaired at all and in PR65ish+! (Pics included have no image editing to enhance the color, only "brightness" and "sharpness" were used to make pictures clearer as coin is in a 2x2 for all pictures except picture #2 of the Reverse.) Die marker very visible after some circulation wear and even taken through a 2x2! Center dot visible and even the die scratch through the dot it is somewhat visible!