I picked up on ebay a rather cheap roll of 1942 Farthings and they were dull, and dark, and not particularly attractive. I tossed them into an acetone bath yesterday and they seem to be coming out much nicer. I am not done yet with them. But I hope to get many of the graded (I know it is not worth it but it is to me). They must have been in the rubble of the Battle of Britain or something.
Do you have any Before and After Pics ? That would be cool . I've never used the stuff because of my lungs .
I don't think it would be a problem if you do it outside. I do one coin at a time in a shot glass and don't get close enough to even smell it. It's not as nasty as some make it out to be.
Yeah, I'm always mindful of lung health, but acetone is pretty benign as such things go. Use it under a kitchen range hood with an exhaust fan running, or outdoors, and you should have no problems at all. Do use small amounts, and try not to make big spills; if you do, just leave until it evaporates, it's almost too runny and volatile to wipe up.
Acetone in low concentrations in air is not harmful. Folks are exhaling it because it’s produced in the metabolism of fat, especially if they haven’t eaten for a while. At higher concentrations in air, it’s toxic and explosive. Using it (small amounts only!) under a range hood is a good idea unless you have an old fashioned gas range with pilot lights. Acetone vapor is heavier than air, and it might drift down to a pilot light with startling results. And advise family members when you are doing it … don’t want them turning on a burner or the oven. Cal
EXCELLENT point. I've never had the privilege of using a gas stove. Working with acetone near a pilot light would be a really bad idea. Its vapor isn't quite as heavy as gasoline, but it's heavy enough to flow and pool.
I've heard that sometimes Acetone can discolor copper coins, for that reason I use Xylene to soak copper coins. I do use Acetone for silver coins.
@serafino Acetone will not react with copper under most conditions. There is one scientific paper that reported when acetone is allowed to completely dry (no rinse) and exposed to light and humidity, after 18 hrs copper acetate was detected. They suggest that that copper can act as a photocatalyst In the slow (their word) formation of acetic acid. The acetic acid would then need to react with the copper. If you use a short soaks, don't let the acetone completely evaporate, and rinse in distilled or deionized water (not tap) immediately after removal from the soak (acetic acid is very soluble in water) you've eliminated all the conditions for any potential copper acetate formation. Link to the SUNY Stony Brook paper if anybody wants to make their own conclusions. https://vdocuments.site/photochemical-breakdown-of-acetone-on-copper.html Many members have reported that they have first hand knowledge of copper toning after an acetone soak and I don't discount that. However, could that have been caused by the soaking method (long soaks, evaporation, inadequate rinse) or even incomplete organic removal or contamination residue left from poor rinsing that reacted to form the toning? You can't say for certain, but the science says that acetone is safe on copper except in some very specific circumstances Also, I use acetone regularly on most newly purchased coins primarily for PVC plasticizer residue removal (Never know how a coin was previously stored, and by the time you see the green slime, damage has already occurred). I've estimate I've done a few hundred copper coins in the last 30 years ranging from cruddy low grade stuff to MS Lincolns. Using short soaks and rinsing, I have never had any color changes. I think acetone is a very useful part of a numismatists tool box, especially for removing PVC plasticizer residue. People may chose not to use it but I feel that presenting all the information will help people make an informed choice.
