And if so, with what? Good afternoon guys. Back in 2014 I picked up a three coin set of Cincinnati Music Hall Commems (raw) and I hadn't pulled them out of storage for a few years, so when I did 2 days ago, I discovered some distracting 'smudge' around Stevens face on both the San fran and Denver coins. If this was anywhere else on the coin, I'd probably let it slide but it does bother me a bit. I popped them out of the 2x2's they were in, let them soak in a jar of acetone for a day, and that helped a bit but the problem is not solved (as I figured it wouldn't be). I don't want to dip the whole coin (as I've never done so before) but was wondering if a confined to 'distraction dip' (Ezest with a Q-tip?) might help...........or make matters worse? Anyway, here are some pics that I hope might be helpful to elicit advice. And take a moment to add a response to the poll. Choose wisely.......I'll be taking names.
Nooooooo. They are beautiful coins. The carbon spot on the 39s obverse is a minor distraction, but I would be concerned about having a negative impact upon the really nice luster that the coins have.
You will like the surfaces even less after treatment than before. Assuming you don.t kill the luster, (which you probably will). Leave them be, they look great as they are. IMO
I don't see anything there that's distracting enough to warrant dipping, and I'd be leery of attempting it, myself. Only the single dark spot behind his head on the S-mint piece is distracting to me, and that looks like the sort of thing that wouldn't come off with a dip, anyway. Otherwise, I don't see anything terribly objectionable there.
Most if not all silver dips are water based. They are usually strong enough to react with the darkened area very rapidly. But for the learner or one that doesn't want complete removal of color, but just lessened, can dilute the dip with distilled water to a ratio they can watch slowly changing and deciding when to withdraw the coin and rinse with distilled water to let dry in air or rinse with acetone before allowing it to air dry. Things can still go badly, but it reduces a head-on wreck to a dented fender. I often use a 10% dip:90% water for delicate to 50:50 for deeper effect. I dump the mix after I am done for the moment. IMO, Jim
Absolutely not, if by dip you mean; soaking in anything other than acetone for any period unless you are professionally trained in coin conservation. The pictured coins are beautiful without a doubt and to dip them would be a mortal sin.
I've finally managed to get my entire morgan set (date/mm) graded (a mix of the top 4 grading companies). Several of the coins I had were dipped though I never really noticed until I started comparing them to other MS63-64 examples. It became so obvious, and they will never be able to get a non-details grade. I agree with others in that if must clean/conserve a coin - let the pros do it; that's what you pay them for. I'd rather have a really nicely worn VF/EF coin than one that has been dipped/cleaned. Cheers!
The black spot might be a carbon spot. If it is, then you may be stuck with it. I don't know If they can be removed. Forum members here can give guidance on professional conservation. If your OK with the carbon spot, let it be. If you saw that coin with the carbon, would you buy it. If not, then sell it. You may sell for a loss, but the coin will not get any better. Regarding dipping yourself, in your case, that's a HARD PASS!!. You will not like the results. Just live with the current results as best you can
Your coins, your choice. Practice on junk silver before hand. Might be a learning experience for you and if it would make you happier with the coin, then it's up to you. We don't want to hear that you ruined a coin because so-and-so told you to dip it. LOL
Unfortunately, coins age with time. These coins have aged naturally and that should be taken into account. If you've already soaked them in acetone, don't go any further. Any other attempt to clean them with other methods may be disastrous (or not, but do you really want to chance it?). Beautiful naturally aged coins, please don't take a chance to ruin them. IMHO if you want to preserve them from here-on-in place them in 2X2's and put them in a DANSCO 7000 album with the protective slip cover. It will slow down the aging process and protect your coins from harmful environmental actions.
I've tried the q-tip route, don't recommend it. There is always a bit of uncertainty involved in dipping a coin, and it looks like I'm going against the general opinion here but... if there is plenty of luster a really quick dip followed by an immediate rinse will often remove the smudge if it is light without any negative effects to the coin. We've all seen overdipped coins, and they're not pretty, but many certified, lustrous coins have been successfully dipped, we just don't know it. But I agree, one should practice with low value coins before attempting anything with valuable coins. Get a lustrous 1964 quarter that has toned and a jar of EZest, and try it before you attempt anything nicer. (I think everyone who is into coins should do this just for the education.) JMHO