Please grade this 1802 Large Cent for me

I will do the same thing. As a matter of fact every so often I might pull a few coins out to look at and grade them again.

 

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I'm amazed how often I disagree with my own grading this way.

 

Acetone is likely to do nothing to the coin. I would leave it alone.


The lacquered coin is another story -- but IMO you'll be playing a game of russian roulette by dipping it in acetone as the lacquer will likely dissolve over time, but the surfaces hidden underneath are an unknown.

 

p.s. any large cent or half cent (i.e. 1857 and earlier) is considered "early" copper -- at least as far as the EAC is concerned.

 

Hoochie mama ! What a babe !

So you're the one who outbid me on this coin ! (just kidding...:hug: I wound up with his S-243, and couldn't be happier...)

Probably not.

Ideally, acetone is only a solvent. This means it will remove stuff adhering to the surface of the coin and will do nothing for anything which has reacted with the copper.

Recoloring is not paint, it is a reactant. It chemically reacts with the surface of the copper. Thus, the surface layers of copper atoms are no longer elemental copper, but rather oxidized copper salts - sulfates, sulfides, oxides, and who knows what else.

The only way to remove that color is to remove original mint copper. That's one reason why anti-cleaning people have so much motivation to "leave it as it is".

Organic solvents won't remove those oxidized copper salts, as thes alts are ionic and organic solvents aren't. They only way to remove them is to react them to form soluble salts. My best guess is that's what VerdiGone does - it reacts them to form soluble nitrates. It might go so far as to oxide cuprous (I) to cupric (II).

 

Are pre-Federal issues included too or are they a totally different category?

 

Yes, and that's the key... the solvent will likely dissolve the lacquer, revealing the unknown.

This is a major reason why so much early copper has a splotchy look.

 

Pre-federal is also included as "EAC". The emphasis tends to be Large Cents first, then half cents, then pre-Fed. Many pre-Fed guys join the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4).

 

Please join our club ! :hug:

 

LOL! I think I have already.

 

Me too - but at least there are not any re-grading fees.

 

Amen brother.