Acetone Cleaning -- Your thoughts?

Only clean using naturally developed acetone..and then only by a trained professional..with cotton gloves...and never do it underwater.. or above sea level (flying sea-horses can be dangerous). Check your owner's manual for recommended intervals. Individual results may vary.

 

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because its dirty? Have you never bought or found or received a very filthy coin? I do all the time, many clean up OUTSTANDING.

I tried this and No...just rubbing a coin with a soft cloth does not polish or mark the surface...hell...just rubbing with a soft cloth wont even clean a coin.

Now I have heard it all...just when you thought collectors couldnt get more irrationally anal...

you sir...have made my day

 

Actually GDJMSP and The Penny Lady are 100% correct.

 

Wow!, I didn't think this question would bring up such controversy. All I did was clean off the grime on a few silver kennedy halves I scored at the bank earlier this week, using a bit of nail polish remover. The coins look sooooooo much better now, an I don't feel badly throwing them in with the other hundred or so that I have.

It just worked so well, but I guess everyone has an elbow ('er, I mean opinion.)

What it sounds like, is the age old dilemma. Cleaning a coin will cause it to lose value with the most discriminating collectors. However, you are free do do with a coin as you see fit, and so if you like cleaner looking coins, then by all means clean them (especially for those coins of little to no collector value, like grimy circulated bank finds.)
From the group, I gather that acetone is a pretty good solvent for this purpose, and in and of itself won't damage the coins.

Did I miss anything?

 

afm1982 // I agree. I started in on this because I had a few of the thousands of coins that I could not read the dates on because they are soooo dirty and I would try and find out how to clean those few coins ... I have decided that I did get some great information out of this converstaion here ... but to each their own .. and probably should not clean a Morgan .. 3cent piece ... CC's ... or anything of real value ... hahahaha.

I am signing out on this site ... I think we have beat this one to death!!!

 

Charmy's original advice was the best. Never clean your coins???? There is conservation and harsh chemical cleaning such as Vinegar or baking soda, etc. Those are even indicated for encrusted anciets like Drusus works on but not for any modern (less than 200 year old) coins. Barry Zenny- go back to Charmy's advice and you will be fine for the coins you have described. Her advice is best.

 

What they said..and besides, if would be quite impossible for any valuable coin to acquire dirt, so no need to ever clean it. Only worthless coins gather moss.

 

I just took these pics for another thread but I find them useful for this discussion as well.

Before (covered with sticky green pvc)



After



I have yet to see a negative effect from coins treated with acetone, it does not effect the luster or the coins original surface. It is not a fix all tho. I have found it to have limited usefulness as stated in earlier posts.

 

I have a software security program that has a slider to select from "don't let anyone in" to "everyone welcome". Generally I have it set for medium high.

Coin cleaning/conservation is similar to me. Set your level where you can live with it.

If you want your 1956-D EF Lincoln to last for a century without changing, it will probably cost many times its value to do so. If you don't send it to NCS, Use an acetone rinse, put into an airtight or intercept holder, zip lock bag, remove air, store in perfect environmental conditions, check 4 times a year. ( maximum). Or ~ Wash with diluted detergent and water, rinse with tap water, air dry and put it into a paper tube with other like ones.( minimum setting).

Middle range to me for Unc. or real rarities (any grade) ~ rinse vertically with acetone, keep vertical as it air drys, put into an inert holder, from a mylar 2x2, hard plastic, air-tite, intercept, TPG holder, etc. If you want to use a product like Blue Ribbon, Coin-Care,etc. remember that it contains oil, and if it is not a synthetic oil, it will have some teenie % of sulfur compounds in it. I have read that synthetic clock oil is the best ( and most expensive) to use as it is formulated "never" to gum nor corrode metal.

I have paper tubes for the non-keepers as I sort through bags or collections, acetone for middle level up, and I have zip lock bags, mylar flips, hard plastic holders, vacuum zip bags, heat sealer, and even synthetic clock oil ( never used on a coin, I have clocks!). you can set any level.

Beginners should set their "slider level" to high until they know what they have, experienced ones can adjust their slider as needed. IMHO.

I know some ( at both ends ) may not agree, but so be it. Good Karma to all.

Jim

 

Your coins do indeed look great Lost and I don't think anyone will disagree for removing PVC. There are many other points of contention when it comes to other coins/substances. The "never clean" thing is a bit misconstrued. While it may be the safe approach for beginners, as they say, it is also, at the very least, misleading, and on the other end, just plain incorrect.

 

I'm a big fan of acetone and have been for many years. It's great for removing some stuff.

There is something you might keep in mind about using it. The coin may look worse once the stuff is removed. It's hard to tell whats under it. The surface under PVC can look really nasty but the PVC has to go.
Rub and tiny scratches may become more visible and take away from the looks of the coin. This seems to show more on silver coins. Just something to think about before you start giving every coin a bath in acetone.

 

Indeed, I am too, it's a wonderful solvent. I primarily use it to remove all traces of moisture from the coin before I put it in an Airtite.

 

I personally use Acetone much less than I used to. I mostly use it to remove oil on coins I want to tone in flip or album. Some time ago I used xylene soak x several weeks on old EF or so wheats. Really did nothing for the coins. I will remove grime soon via either toothbrush on low enders or rose thorn on nicer ones. Once done I will acetone and then reoil or not depending on how they look.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Penny Lady
Whenever you talk, you spray tiny spit specks and if left on a coin, they will darken and sometimes even corrode the coin. That's usually where all those tiny specks you see on many coins came from.

I guess you haven't seen many coins with lots of little carbon/corrosion specks on them, have you? If you have, where do you think they came from? Did you think someone left them out in the rain?

 

LOL, true story. It is best not to talk over, let alone sneeze or cough over anything nice. Red copper? You'll kill it. Spots WILL develop.

 

Yes sorry- Drusus. That is true without a doubt about the spit. I even use a mask when I am dealing with nicer raw coins. Call us anal. No problem with me. I usually agree with all your points, but this is how lots of high end MS coins have been ruined.

 

Yes please tell us what happened. Acetone is not an acid, I have used it for many years with good results.
Also as posted earler, any time you use any thing new, read the warnings on the container. I have worked with acetone in my business for a lot of years and know very well what can happen when someone is careless. So read the warning and believe what it says.
Bill

 

This is a well known fact, I'm surprized it's even being debated.

 

An uncovered sneeze can carry moisture as far as 20 feet, with droplet size so small they aren't visible with the unaided eye. But also remember that most spray bottles can do the same thing, and whole house humidifiers are deadly to open coins.

Jim Ah Choo

 

I just thought you all might want to check out this thread on CU about acetone cleaning, just to see what others think about acetone cleaning, etc.
http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=726969