Release the toning! Nothing of particular value here...but look at what's buried under this schmutz! So a fun little project to remove this chalky stuff. Can scrape it off with my fingernail, I tried a tiny edge spot. As you can see, straight on it appears much more white, at an angle though... By the end of today it'll be 48 hours in the acetone. If it doesn't work...maybe detergent/water for a couple days? No xylenes, in my experience they change toning. Will it work?!
Acetone only dissolves organic materials. 48 hours is about 46 hours more than needed for most organic substances. It won't remove toning which is caused by a reaction between the composition and surface of the coin, and the conditions it was subject to, heat, humidity etc
If it comes off very easily with a fingernail it'll come off with acetone in my experience. On circulated coins you can lightly roll a Q-tip soaked in acetone across the coin as well. Make sure to change the q-tip out frequently and go lightly however - the cotton itself will not impart hairlines, but particles the q-tip picks up could.
If your toning changes with xylene, it's because it was coming from a thin layer of an oily or waxy substance. Xylene basically can't affect the sulfides and oxides that cause desirable toning, unless you pressure-cook in the stuff (please DON'T try that), or blast the coin with it hard enough to knock metal away.
I wonder how many people ruined all their porcelain covered pots, pans, coffee pots, sinks and stoves back in the day.
Agree with this. Xylene won't affect inorganic toning Agree here also. Acetone doesn't work on everything. If you don't see any affect after an hr or two, move on.
I checked on it a couple times a day...it's done quite a bit I can tell you that the chalky stuff didn't really start coming off for a solid 6 or 8 hours or so...and this is after a full day. Gave it a swirl each time I checked on it. The chalky junk is basically gone from the obverse but the reverse... Here are the results after 48 hours in acetone and now it's going to spend the night in xylenes...
Yes...I mentioned that in the original post Fun project since it's the kind of thing I come across once in a while... Wanna buy a BEEEAUTIFULLY toned 2005 D dime?! ...I can afford the 3 cents of solvents
Looks like corrosion to me - especially the reverse. As they say, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
Took it out of the xylenes this morning, kind of forgot about it lol. Anyway...xylenes definitely changed things. Less orange, more yellows and greens in the toning. The reverse left a slightly blue residue that does not come off with a fingernail. All the white chalky is now gone. Which also left behind some fresh white coin in spots. Fun. Now...on to the ultra-sonic cleaner... I'm kidding!!! It's back in the return to bank pile...lemme know if you find it Final result after a day in xylenes...
