Hello everyone! My question is on the use of acetone with ancients. I imagine ancients can and do get PVC residue or other gunk on their surface that needs to be removed. Now on my modern silver coins I'm very comfortable using acetone to remove things and I even saved a proof once. I'm curious about ancients. It acetone generally acceptable to use? Are there metals it should not be used on? I appreciate any information.
I use acetone routinely on my bronze coins. Acetone to remove any gunk or topically applied stuff, then dry and apply Verdicare. If a silver or billion coin seems to have any sticky coating or gunk, it gets an acetone dunk too.
Same as TIF. Acetone will not damage an authentic patina and it does a good job of removing PVC residue and other gunk. However - it will remove some types of fake "desert patina," so if you like the way a coin looks and are suspicious that the patina is fake, I'd leave it alone.
All, I've heard of acetone but not used it. Is this a cotton swab treatment or a soak? I know that acetone evaporates quickly so a soak may not make sense unless in an enclosed vessel. Thanks in advance
The way I've done it before was to pour some acetone into a small glass bowl the place the coin in and remove. It was a Franklin proof coin so a cotton swab could have damaged it. Thanks for the feedback!
Acetone worked wonders on my 84 DDO cent with sticky grime on the back, the area under that grime did come out more shinny then the rest of the coin, but its catching up with time. My dealer (Harold B Rice) bought a big lot of uncleaned ancients, and he soaks them in Coke or Pepsi....
Don't put ancients near Coke or Pepsi. Acetone is fine. I have a jar, in goes the acetone, in goes coin, lid on, swish around for a few seconds and out again. I was told not to use nail varnish remover, but 100 per cent acetone.
Every once in a while acetone will do something bad to an ancient. If it does, you know you bought a doctored coin. Acetone will never hurt an authentic, original ancient. I do the same as others, soak in pure, (hardware store), acetone. Never trust anything from department stores.
Most stuff should take that long, but no harm in leaving it as long as you like. Have some distilled water around to rinse it off, and pat dry with soft cotton cloth. Ancients are tough, a rub with a towel won't hurt them.
