Acetone - The magic chemical

Boss: Vess1- in my experience xylene works better for removing most things from coins (oils in particular) or MEK. Xylene is more toxic (as far as the MSDS relative to acetone) and smells terrible. Lately I have been using isoproply alcohol with good results. I am not a big fan of acetone. It seems to work best on PVC, which I personally have never owned a coin that I truly believed had that problem.

 

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Actually if you put a coin in Acetone, in a metal tube, add a burning candle, coin flys out through the air. If it is raining at the time, the coin now gets rinsed in rain water. If your in an area like Nothern Indiana, that rain water contains a form of Acid rain. This mild Acid rain will continue the cleansing process of the coin. Now you catch it, rinse with tap water that contains Chlorination and you now end up with a brand new shinny coin. :goofer::goofer:

 

You may want to do a search here for Polished coins. I've been experimenting with Polished coins by soaking them in Acetone and Laquer thinners. The reason is I suspected that many of these are done with Polishing materials such as jewlery polishes or even auto polishes. If so that should come off and leave the coins as bare metals that could tarnish, tone, etc. HOWEVER, if the polished coins are due to a rubbing procedure with a buffing wheel, I suspect not much will help.
So far my Nickel is back in the Acetone for a few days again.

 

the health of GD is more important than any coin ever minted

 

i rest my case

 

So now that you guys have had a battle of the minds and come to the conclusion that you shouldn't bathe in acetone, which anyone with a high school diploma could have told you, has anyone ever used it to remove lacquer from a coin?

 

Vess, acetone will not make a coin shny, never has, never will, and no one wo understands what it oes would ever expect it to. The only thing acetone does is dissolves organic compounds, and it's polor nature might make it good for removing regular dirt. It doesn't remove toning (Except for some artifical tonings which are created by oils with suspended sulfur compounds.), or corrosion such as verdigris. It doesn't affect "carbon" spots because in most cases there is no carbon in them. Acetone should be thought of as simply a degreasing agent that won't react with the metal of the coin or its compounds.