I have a half dollar with some milk spots on it, I don't know if that's what they are but that's what I call them. Anyways, I just randomly picked up this pic off the internet so I could have an example. My half looks the same as the one in this pic. Any ideas on how I can get this stuff off? :bow:
Proof coins and coins with a lot of Mint shine tend to have this problem. I think(?) it has to do with improper cleaning/drying of planchets before striking. But wait for a more knowledgeable responder. Cure? Start with distilled water. Soak and GENTLY pat dry with a lintless cotton cloth. Next step up would be acetone. Others will be by with more suggestions.
Milk spots are a tough beast, in many cases it is impossible to remove without hurting the coin. In my experience it is possible to remove at the early stages on proof coins but have not had much luck with business strikes. I'm at the point where I just send them to NCS, the fees are pretty low.
No, it's not the whole set the pic is just an example I only have one franklin with the MS. I guess I'll try the distilled water approach. Then I'll go straight to TarnX! nah just kidding!!
A commercial coin dip is about the only way if your coin is similar to the one pictured. And by the way, those aren't milk spots. Spotting like that is usually caused by somebody talking, coughing, or sneezing over the coins. And THAT can be gotten off. What we call milk spots, those don't come off, even with a coin dip.
Yes I've seen a plastic white jar of that dip at the coin store. Will it change the appearance of the coin any? thanks Oh it's called E Z est is that one alright to use on silver coins?
That depends on if you know how to use it or not. And since you're asking - you obviously don't. All commercial coin dips will strip a layer of metal from the coin. Their main active ingredient is an acid - that's why they work when trying to remove toning, some spots, stains, discoloration etc. Coin dips can turn even the most lusterous coins into flat, washed out, dead looking coins that have zero luster. Or, they can turn an ugly, discolored and stained coin into a thing of beauty. It all depends on the person doing the dipping. Do it just the exact right amount of time for the given coin and everybody is happy. Do it for 1 second, and I mean 1 second, too long for the given coin - and you end up with a hunk of junk silver worth spot. Now, do you want to risk that ? Or would you rather just sell the coin you have for what you can get for it and buy another one that you are happy with ? The problem with coin dips is this - they require a user with a lot of experience. And no, I don't mean experience dipping the coin in the liquid - any 4 year old can do that. The experience that is required is being able to recognize exactly what coins can be benefitted by dipping them and which ones can't. AND - knowing precisely how long to dip the coin to acomplish the goal. And with every single coin there is, the circumstances are different. So you have to know a lot, and have a great deal of experience with dipping coins or you will screw the pooch. Of course, you could also be very lucky and have it all work out too So, in the immortal words of Eastwood - do ya feel lucky ?
No I don't feel lucky at all especially since I have experience messing up dime up pathetically. Yeah, that's all it took for me to realize how powerful some of that stuff is. I'll just try the distilled water and take it from there. It's funny about that commercial brand though, I was talking to the owner of a coin store and I was telling him about a proof that I bought and it has a finger print on it and he said to just dip it. I was taken aback to hear a coin shop owner say that so casually but I'm sure he knows what he's talking about. Needless to say I am very careful when I buy coins from that store. :bow:
Don't be so sure. How do you think so many coins got messed up to begin with ? Just because somebody is a coin dealer that doesn't mean they know anything about coins. Some of them are dumber than a box of rocks.
From what you have thier it is rather to small a problem to mess with. As noted though if you really want to try, start with the distilled water. After a dip in that, place on a cotton cloth, BLOW DRY. Do not attempt to wipe dry. If no improvement, and you want to play around a little more, try the Acetone dipping system. You should be able to find tons of info on that by using the search thing at the top and typing in Acetone. Places like Walmart now carry several varieities of Jewlery cleaners. One if for Copper, one for Silver, one for Gold, etc. All work really OK on jewlery, miscellaneous metals, etc. but on coins, as already noted they all contain an acidic substance that does little in the way of helping a coin. Some leave distinctive discolorations on coins. Also, if you search this forum for coin cleaning, cleaned coins, etc you will find many people that claim other substances also work. Lighter fluids, Tomato Juice, Vinegar, spit, dish soaps and on and on and on. Still the best method is to just NOT CLEAN COINS.
Agreed! Proper coin conservation should not be a guessing game. If you're not 100% sure of the outcome, you should not be trying to conserve a coin as it will likely result in a cleaning instead. There's huge difference between conservation and cleaning. Once you cross the line, there is no turning back.
Sorry, I don't have any readily available. But they are most commonly found on ASE's and modern commems. They are the whitish spots that look like somebody spilled milk on the coin. And they do not come off. In fact, PCGS has a standing reward of $50,000 to the person who figures out a way to remove them without harming the coin. (Hey TOM !! - here's your chance, I'm saying it can't be done again )
I may have solved the "milk spot" problem.:hatch: I cracked open an OBW roll which hasn't seen the light of day in 50 years. To my horror, all the coins were littered with unsightly white spots. Some of the spots were quite large with a very faint seafoam greenish hue. They really looked like crap! I did some research and devised a three step process for restoring the coins...takes about an hour. The restored coins look spectacular! I'll share the details as soon as I get one of the coins graded. I'm sending one to NGC this week as part of a group...I'll keep CT posted. :hug:
I suspect the spots on my coins were the result of some sort of fungus. The spots are gone now and the coins look spectacular. The process is fairly benign so you might want to give it a try on one of your "milk spot" coins...or not. I'll share once I get the "all clear" from NGC.
I read one person's opinion that the spots are silver chloride, which is close to insoluble. If part of the processing is a hydrochloric acid application which is not properly rinsed off, then this opinion is plausible. Now if that's it, there are a few ways to dissolve silver chloride. Maybe someone with coins they can afford to lose will be willing to experiment. Do not try these on a valuable coin unless they've been proven to be safe. The simplest is ammonia. This may darken the silver and destroy the luster. The other is sodium thiosulfate. This used to be readily available as a film processing chemical back when there was film. Try an old photographer or a chemical supply place. The experimenter should try warming the solution (which unfortunately causes fumes with the ammonia) and should obviously rinse thoroughly afterward. Gentle stirring without touching the coin would make sense.
