Good Evening! Someone offered me some circulated Franklin halves in a Whitman album. Many of them have what appears to be scotch tape marks on the front where they were "taped" into place. Is there any way to remove the old tape marks without cleaning or defacing the coin? Otherwise, it's a nice starter set. Any ideas? Houston_Ray
Pure acetone - the kind you get at a paint or hardware store or a home center, and absolutely not your significant other's acetone-based nail polish remover, is the "solution" you are looking for. A quick rinse, using a glass or ceramic bowl in a well-ventilated area, followed by a rinse in deionized water and air drying, should remove the tape residue. Acetone does not affect luster or tarnish (what some call "toning"), which is a good thing; but if your coin has been discolored by lengthy exposure to the tape, neither acetone, nor anything else appropriate for use on coins, will do the job. For more information, and several excellent prior threads, use the forum search function and look for postings about "acetone".
I wouldn't buy it...the Franklin set is easy to complete for little $$$...buy them yourself one by one and that way you can pick what grades and what coins you like...it would be better in the end. Speedy
Thanks.... I may just pass on them. Agree that Franklins are easy and not too expensive. Appreciate the acetone answer; I did learn something....from the experts! Kind Regards Houston_Ray
If the price is reasonable, buy them, and clean the tape residue off. You can always trade them in at your coin dealer for something better. To borrow a quote I've read on this site, the tape marks do not make them worthless, only worth less.
If I were being offered the coins at more than 25% less than their melt value, I might take the risk. If the acetone works, great. If not, the coins will always be worth their silver content.
Even if you remove the tape residue, you will most likely find the the coin has toned on either side of the tape and you will still be able to see where the tape was.
I had a couple of halfs with tape streaks and here is how I solved the problem. First you must live in Los Angeles County or at least a city with a bad smog problem. Lay the coins outside (I layed then on a planter shelf on my patio) Each week for 1 year turn them over. After 1 year they will look the same on both sides. You will hate them , but the tape mark will be gone. Just kidding ! I did lay some pennies out for a year (change from the bottom of the dryer) and they turned real ugly.
ROFL….. Acetone is your best answer. I got a set of 60 world coins from my brother a while back. They where all taped in to a piece of cardboard in a picture frames. Some came out looking good but some of the copper and bronze coins had a shiny patch under the tape.
Throw them in the swimming pool for a couple days. They will come out black and ugly, but the tape will be gone. Some people like toned coins.
Yup, a good long bath in very weak hydrochloric acid is much better than a short bath in the strong stuff. Or were you suggesting the use of an unchlorinated pool?
