1875-S 20 cent piece gooey stuff removal?

Here’s a little better photos just quick shots will provide better with my eBay listing and I do see the XF45 possibly AU50. The breast feathers are very prominent! And I really do think this is the S/S error that thing doesn’t even look like an S lol.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

@AirborneReams , it doesn't matter if you use distilled or deionized water. In this application they are equivalent (you chemistry buffs out there, I know they are not the same). Since acetone doesn't seem to be effective, you might try xylene. Some organic deposits acetone will not on whereas xylene will. Xylene is available at the hardware store.

The marks might not be an organic deposit but if they won't come off with acetone or xylene, it would probably be best to stop trying to remove them.

 

I've had silver coins in Acetone for a month with no adverse effect.

 

Here in California you won't find Xylene in a hardware store. They banned the stuff, I had to order some Xylene from a seller on eBay who didn't care about the ban

 

I’m not sure if that will work we have it here in town but it looks like it could be some sort of previous chemical reaction? Since I’m selling it on eBay I will leave it as is. Who ever that wins the auction can do all of that lol

 

That may be best. A twenty cent in that shape would be devastating to damage unintentionally. But the caveat to that is you could potentially greatly increase the bidding interest without the spots. It is a crapshoot.

 

To make any AU grade from 50 to 58, you need to have mint luster. I don’t see any mint luster on this piece.

Even if you succeed in lifting the dark areas, and I am not sure if they are the result of the same problem, you will have brighter spots in their place, which almost as distracting.

I hope that you paid a price that is somewhere in the Choice VF to low end EF range. Design sharpness is one part of the grading puzzle, but luster and environmental issues are just as important.

 

I have never harmed a coin with acetone but as Johnmilton said, what's under the spots may not look any better. There is something else to keep in mind about coins of this grade range. Junk on the surface of the coin can be hiding tiny hits. More of these tiny hits may start showing if the junk does come off.

I like to let an acetone bath work for several hours and change out the acetone for a second bath and maybe a third. No reason to rush it. If you put a drop of the acetone from each old bath on a piece of glass and let it dry, you will know if the acetone is actually still removing anything from the coin.

 

Your right on that with the luster, it does have nice reflection under light but I’m not sure if that’s the luster, it is very toned as well it seems. I don’t think I want to remove the spots after seeing your guys reply, there could definitely be something far worse under these spots that could ruin the coin further.

 

I think I may do one or two more acetone baths and if that doesn’t work I’ll take that as my sign to stop LOL.

 

Nice coin, why clean it if your going to auction it. Most enthusiast would prefer it to be natural, not cleaned. Just my opinion. good luck

 

From my understanding acetone doesn’t affect the coin to cause it to get details, the reason for me would to increase profit margins if it was something gooey I could remove but it turns out sadly it’s not. Either it’s permanent or someone will have to send the coin into an expert. Thank you!

 

I have bathed approx. 50 silver coins in Acetone for 4-8 hours to clean stuff off and then have rinsed with distilled water and air dried with varied amounts of success. Seems I have not always entirely cleaned the green disease off on several coins.

 

Assuming the acetone works, I would skip the water and just give it a quick second rinse in clean acetone to make sure there's no trace of the goo remaining. When you remove the coin, the acetone will evaporate in a matter of just a few seconds.

 

There's nothing natural about some organic crud (if that's what it is) stuck to the surface of the coin. Trying to lift it off with acetone is a harmless exercise because acetone doesn't interact with the coin itself, only with things that may be on the coin.

Edit: sorry, OP, I skipped over the part where your tried acetone and it didn't work. Seems like your only other option may be professional conservation.

 

The "Black Spots/Staining" looks to me like crud (i.e. a combination of organic and inorganic residue that has come to rest or accumulate on parts of the surface, most notably on older coins in between Denticles, and adjacent to protected areas in the Details, which has taken a set over time) which is almost impossible to remove without using mechanical force--of course you don't want to attempt that with a coin that potentially may be worth $400.

Had the "Residue" been soluble in Acetone and successfully removed in the "Washing Step" the areas under the "Residue" would most likely be lighter in color (due to having been protected from environmental effects for some long period of time) and that would be apparent to any knowledgeable collector or TPG; and would garner a Details Grade-Cleaning. IMO, if you had submitted the coin as is to a TPG you could get a straight grade of AU50/53/55, or if they're really picky, a Details Grade-Environmental Damage due to the 3 Dark Spots on the Reverse adjacent to TWENTY.

Since your intention is to list it on eBay--and since it is a fairly scarce Type Coin in that apparent grade with a nice natural patina with no evidence of having ever been cleaned--you should have no trouble in finding a buyer. Good luck.

 

Thank you for the detailed response. Yes there were no changes in any of the acetone baths I provided the coin with. I started at 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 1 hour, and finished with 2 hours. That may not be long enough but there was no change at all with any of these so like you said I have listed it, someone that gets the coin can send it to a professional, or leave as is. It’s a nice grade especially being the coin that is.

 

Yes I tried a few baths and nothing changed, so since I am selling it that is as far as I will go. Thank you for your response friend.

 

Nice close-up pictures, Airborne

 

If it were my coin, I would suspend it in my ultrasonic cleaner in water with detergent and give it a go. I have made soft collars (EPDM and nylon) to fit coins so the coin can be suspended in the solution not touching anything and won't be degraded by junk that gets lifted off or vibrated against the bottom of the cleaner tank.