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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Oldhoopster, post: 2754985, member: 84179&quot;]To consolidate some of the previous posts and past info on Acetone.</p><ul> <li>Acetone will remove/loosen most organic material stuck to the coin</li> <li>Acetone will not affect toning (original metal from the coin that has reacted with sulfur or other environmental components).&nbsp; In <b>very rare</b> instances, acetone may react with (darken?) copper surfaces.&nbsp; </li> <li>In many cases, the organic material on coins can inhibit toning on the covered areas, while the rest of the coin tones naturally.&nbsp; Removing the organic residue can expose the untoned regions and make it appear that the acetone caused a reaction.&nbsp; This is not true, the acetone only reacted with the organic residue.</li> <li>The same is true for PVC residue (technically, it is the plasticizer added to the PVC to make it soft and pliable that causes the problem).&nbsp; The residue is acidic and can cause pitting or other damage.&nbsp; The residue on the coin may hide this damage and it is not visible until the residue is removed.</li> <li>After soaking in acetone, coins should be <u>quickly</u> rinsed with distilled or deionized water.&nbsp; Acetone evaporates quickly and any residue that is pulled into the solvent will redeposit on the coin when it dries.</li> <li>Only use small amounts when soaking and change frequently.&nbsp; The organics will concentrate&nbsp; in the acetone and could be a problem on subsequent coins especially if not rinsed quickly and completely.</li> <li>MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS: You don&#039;t need to soak for long periods of time for most coins.&nbsp; I don&#039;t think I&#039;ve ever soaked for more than 30 minutes.&nbsp; If the residue does not come off after rinsing, try again, if there doesn&#039;t appear to be any progress, then the residue is probably inert to acetone.&nbsp; </li> </ul><p>Overall I feel that acetone is a good solvent for removing certain types of crud without affecting the surfaces of the coin.&nbsp; Remember, it is highly flammable and should be used safely (there are a number of threads that outline how to do this)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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