Does anyone know if denatured alcohol is good for a little wipedown on coins before storage? I read that in a book by Scott Travers and figured he knows what he is talking about. I know that acetone is recommended to remove PVC residue, but wonder how the 2 would mix on a coin. Probably would be best to use one or the other. Also, is acetone OK for copper? I just want to wipe them down a bit before putting into 2 x 2's because some of them have really had a hard life. Any tips/suggestions? I don't want to really do any major cleaning on any of them to improve condition - just for preservation purposes.
I have not done this myself, so take it all with a grain of salt: Acetone is supposed to be the best method for cleaning coins up without removing any surface metal. The trick is to make sure that (after) you run a lot of water over the coin before allowing it to dry. A residue of acetone will haze your coins if they are proofs. An even better way is to then dip the well-washed coin in ETOH, as the ethanol is highly volatile and will evaporate rapidly. Get the highest percentage ETOH that you can find in the pharmacy. Careful, rubbing alcohol is isopropanol, which is much less volatile than ETOH. People recommend letting the coin air dry for up to 2 weeks before storing away. I would try on those less desirable pieces before jumping in with your pride and joys.
by the way, make sure that you air dry and do not physically wipe the coin. At least only dap them dry with a soft towel. Wiping the coins down with something like a paper towel, as you know, is like wiping down your car with tree branches.
OK - let me see if I have this right - you say (correct if wrong) -- Dip in acetone and then rinse VERY well in water. Then pat dry and dip in ETOH (Is that what I ask for at pharmacy - or is there a common name?). Then it will evaporate by itself - or do I pat it dry again. And do I rinse again? OR do I skip the water rinse and just do the acetone and then the ETOH. And then let air dry for a couple wks. before storage. LOL - I think I could be confused! 8O
As far as your copper question, I did try acetone on copper. I got some Uncirculated wheats that had tape on them. They had glue stuck to them and an ugly band of toning where the glue was. I figured, what the heck, it can't hurt...and it didn't. It took off the glue, but not the discoloration. I posted about acetone on RCC and one of the posters there claimed that acetone would eat through a zinc cent in a day or a week or something. Another poster claimed that this was bullspit and put one to soak in acetone right then. This was 2 or 3 months ago now, and as far as I know (he reported back on it recently) the coin is not dissolved, and looks much the same. Others will give you nearly hysterical cautionary tales about the toxic fumes. They are toxic (and highly combustible, don't drop a match in the area), but I doubt you will die from breathing in the fumes. Acetone is the main ingredient in nail polish remover, and you don't hear about women dying of the fumes often...Just keep things reasonably well ventilated and you will be fine. One last thing...acetone will eat some plastics and take the finish off of your furniture, so watch where you spill it, and don't put it in a plastic container! It also evaporates fairly rapidly, so unless you are just doing a quick dip, I would cover it with something. Hope that helps!
First a caution: Proper dipping of a coin is a skill, and must be perfected through experience. Hence, try to make pretty pocket change first before trying your collectables. There are some major problems that can result from improper dipping. 1) cleaning using harsh chemicals can remove some surface metal and look very unatural, thereby reducing the value of the coin, 2) improper rinsing will leave a residue that will turn into a haze on the surface of your coin, 3) abrasions from improper "patting down" to dry will leave many fine scratches on the surface of the coin. Generally, dipping is best suited for modern proofs to bring out the contrast of the fields. This can improve the appearance of the coin if done properly. Cleaning of all other coins is highly risky and generally decreases the value of the coin. On the older and more valuable coins, it is best to leave be unless there is a good reason (i.e. tape residue). That said, dip first in acetone. Short exposures to the acetone are usually all that is needed. Immediately following the acetone exposure, rinse VERY well with distilled water (tap water has many impurities, so don't use it). At all times, hold the coin by the edges with plastic tongs (metal scratches). IMPORTANT, don't skimp on the water rinse. Some people pat the coin dry (not my first preference), others dip the coin very quickly in fresh acetone again and let air dry (acetone is volatile) and other yet dip in ethanol and let air dry (also volatile so dries faster than water to reduce the chance of spotting) - ETOH = ethanol (sorry). Isopropanol might also work, but it is not as volatile as ethanol when comparing similar percentages of alcohol. The higher the percentage of alcohol, the faster it will evaporate. That just means that there is relatively less water diluting the alcohol. Hope this helps, but not many people recommend this outside of modern proofs being sent in for slabbing.
ROF Chrysta - and thanks BB for all of your time and tips. I think I will just do a little experimenting with some "not so important coin" - and I will do it outside in the fresh air - and will heed all of the warnings and tips. Now what to do about that green crud on my old pennies! LOL :lol:
Once you have rust, the damage has already been done and cannot be reversed. The metal is already oxidized and pitted.
