Any final prep before putting coins in flips/capsules?

Use Goo Gone first. Acetone may recolor the coin.

 

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??Why use Goo Gone? it is a pertroleum extract produce and also includes Limonine, a Terptine, and Orange sweet extract?? Why should it replace acetone. The idea that acetone may discolor copper comes from 1 team of researchers working for a company that was trying to convince people not to use acetone in degreasing copper tubing in manufacturing, but their product instead. It required a group of environmental factors that does not normally occur , such as heating the copper first ( but not enough to ignite the acetone) or leave it in high water vapor ( hard to do ) since acetone evaporates so rapidly normally. You could ( and they did) set up an experiment to show it is possible to react, but not while cleaning copper coins with it as described in CT. No one has tested goo-gone under same conditions so who knows. IMO of course Jim

http://www.oregoncoastcc.org/wp-content/uploads/files/maintenance-and-janitorial/goo_gone.pdf

http://www.stonybrook.edu/vescalab/research/research7.html

 

Not all cotton swabs are made the same. There are better choices than Wal-Mart off the shelf Q-Tips. I like 100% isopropyl alcohol in my tool box also.

 

I need to send you some of my really pretty LHCs to do your magic on them!

 

For Lincoln cents (and other copper coins) there is a report that acetone will cause them to discolor. I have never seen this, but assuming it is true, I know of no downside to using Xylene, and it might be more successful at removing glue.

 

Why Goo Gone? AFAIK, folks who conserve coins use it to remove tape. In my experience I've seen no harm done to a coin. BTW, acetone is also used.

 

The only thing I might add is to remove the Goo Gone with an acetone or xylene rinse...always finish with a clean, pure solvent.

 

I absolutely agree with Jim. It is highly unlikely that anyone is going to clean coins under those conditions. IF you somehow manage to get copper acetate to form on your Red BU copper coin, how thick a build up do you need before you can detect any color change? How long does it take? This test was done on clean copper foil. Will the reaction and reaction rates apply to brown and red/brown copper with surface oxidation?

I think I'll stick with acetone and use the short dip, or qtip method that I always use. Follow it with a thorough rinse. I like distilled water for the rinse because you don't have to worry about any minerals that might be left behind as tap water evaporates, but in reality, mineral spots won't be an issue for most people and the coins the clean with acetone.

And don't forget, the single research paper is reporting on the formation copper acetate. There are no research papers reporting on any silver or gold reactions with acetone.

 

@RonSanderson, This picture (gif?) is mesmerizing. I absolutley love it.

Sorry, I know it had nothing to do with the convo, but I had to give props. Great thread BTW.

 

If you're going the PB route, here's some coin smearing music :

 

Because it works.