About Acetone baths

You folks put out some great info. Especially the pointers on the right type of acetone from hardware store and NOT fingernail polish remover. Now MY question is, once you place the coin in acetone overnight would this be a "cleaned coin" for ever more? if you don't know, you ask. I am ASKING. Here is a "forever" cleaned coin of mine (not acetone that I know of) just an example of permanent tag of CLEANED.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

No. Acetone only removes organic foreign matter that may have accumulated on the surface of a coin. It doesn't alter the surface or interact chemically with the metal in the coin. Essentially no different than if you had a coin with some dirt on it and you rinsed it off with water.

 

It is possible for an improperly cleaned coin to straight grade if you give it enough circulation wear to remove the improperly cleaned surfaces, though obviously this lowers the state of preservation significantly. Acetone won't do it though. It is more likely that acetone would remove contaminants that were concealing an improper cleaning.

Keep in mind that the TPGs sometimes get it wrong. I've certainly had a few coins get details grades with cleaned, only to crack them out and send them back in and get straight grades. But these were coins where they obviously made a mistake (in my cases, they mistook die polish lines or excessive die deterioration for hairlines). So while those coins said they were improperly cleaned on the label, they were not actually improperly cleaned.

 

As stated, acetone will not alter the coins original surface, so would not be deemed as cleaning. One note of caution, sometimes copper coins will change color after an acetone bath.

 

I don't recommend acetone bathing.
It's horrible for your skin!

 

The logical answer is yes. It was cleaned. It may have not been designated as a cleaned coin. It may not have revealed any underlying issues after the cleaning. But, it is a cleaned coin.

It does not render the coin unacceptable to collectors. It is preference. It is "market acceptable".

But, it has been cleaned, for ever more.

Me? I assume the majority of coins have been enhanced in some manner by somebody by some process. I am much more cautious concerning coins that are (and this is just my own preference) less than 20 years old, and I have not personally received the coin(s) from the source of manufacture, with original packaging, and/or bought it myself on the secondary market after satisfying myself the original packaging has not been tampered with.

The reason for this personal 20 year cutoff is simple, to me. Any adversarial effects from a cleaning would be more visible in a piece, by then. Putty/tooling/sly doctoring etc. is part of that 20 year self imposed choice and evaluation.

 

For me there are a couple ways to look at the question. Coins have been and will likely always see attempted cleaning at some point in they're life. Generally when collectors say "never clean a coin" it is a "general" term and is cautionary and good practice.
Really it means don't improperly clean a coin else you risk damage and effecting its value.
There are ways, several mentioned above, to "properly clean" a coin without harming it. It takes understanding and practice so if you choose to, proceed with caution.
Consider the big TPG's offer restoration services and that process cleans the coin, but done in the proper way, without harming it. Still it's cleaning. To answer the root question, once cleaned, always cleaned. You can't undo it, once done. MHO.

 

Quite true. Years ago, I bought a coin that had been whizzed among other things and was in a holder that prevented me from seeing that. No returns allowed, of course.
So, I carried it as a pocket piece for several years until it wore down to a high-end VF and sold it at a great loss. At least nobody was going to be cheated by that coin any more.

 

Still a very attractive coin!

 

I once read a article by a noted Numismatist. He stated, cleaned coins are going to be accepted in the future. More and more collectors want to see the true beauty of the original coin, rather than the obscure aged and tarnished alternative. Much like the cleaned ancients are accepted today. Hope I'm still here to see it happen, God willing! Enjoyed your post, thank you.

 

OK...got it...but how about the rinse, where it appears (both here and on others I've seen) that "water" spots remain, and either the acetone wasn't rinsed enough and/or the rinse water wasn't dried (blotted, air-blown, whatever) off. Would that be it/likely...?

 

The reason for my self imposed moratorium/statute of 20 years.

 

that's an answer I like thank you.

 

makes ya smell funny too.

 

I experienced discoloration on a couple of bronze coins after using acetone, but never (so far) on copper, silver, or cupro-nickel.

 

I seem to recall @YankeeDime mentioning something in the errors forum about known reactions with acetone and copper if there is water (or high humidity?) present. There could be some discoloration or damage when those three are combined. I wonder if that's what you saw on the bronze coins?

 

Bronze more than copper is true. Any high moisture level, on or near a copper coin when dipping it in acetone has been known to affect the color.

 

These coins of OURS are not really ours, they belong to the future much like our land we bought. when you and I die

 

Why use water to rinse off acetone? If you use a high grade of acetone 99+% ( Lowe's gallon) or 100% ( Organic chem lab) let it evaporate while holding by edges. In real life situations acetone evaporates very fast. Letting water be the last substance ( and a metal object) will lead to spots and obvious marks and is not recommended. Remember acetone liquid and vapors are very flammable. IMO, Jim.