Cleaning question

I know you should never clean a coin but the coins that began my collection came from a former collector who spent the majority or her collection in the store I work at. I bought all of the coins from the till and kept them. A lot of her old coins have a glue substance on them (like she glued them onto an album. It is very hard, greenish in color and VERY unattractive. Is there any safe way to try and get the glue off of the coins without damaging the coins themselves? I haven't tried anything because I do not want to ruin them but they do look terrible. One side is shiny and glossy and pretty and the other side is gunky and green.:help!A:

 

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Most here will tell you that you can soak the coins in distilled water for awhile then soak them in pure acetone (not finger nail polish). Other than that I don't know what you can do.

 

I thought about trying "goo gone" but I don't know if that will damage them. Any idea where I could find pure acetone? I have a bottle of "pure acetone" but it was purchased is the cosmetics department and I use it for my nails so I doubt it is what I need.

 

I can post pics but it will have to be done tomorrow. I am at work and don't get off till 10pm. Hopefully my crappy little Kodak Easy Share can pick it up well enough to show everyone.

 

A while back I had some coins that looked like yours! I recomend useing acetone! Hope this helps! I have no idea where to get it at though! Sorry!

 

Home depot or lowes or hardware store should have acetone.

 

I think this is the best advice Snaps. Let us take a look at some pictures first so we can make an educated guess as to what's on your coins.

Bruce

 

I'd start with an extended soak in distilled water. If that didn't work, then I would move on to a soak in acetone. (Except for steel cents, those I would start with the acetone. Or better yet just buy replacements, they're cheap.)

 

Yeah! I mean, you said that one side was all shiny and glossy! Most old coins are not shiny and GLOSSY! Maybe , you thought that because one side was unattractive then the shiny side must be good! I think that the unattractive side might be just original antique patina!Maybey the shiny side is bad! But, We will need to see pics first!

 

Goo Gone rules!!! It does things Acetone won't do - it's like nectar from the cleaning Gods!

Sorry - as you were!

 

None of these coins have any real value. Most are just bicentennial quarters and such but they look so perfect on one side I want them pretty on both sides lol. They aren't so old that they would be dull and faded. But I will definitely get a couple of pics posted in tomorrow.

 

Awsome!

 

exactly!

 

Go leave a Lincoln cent in Tobasco sauce for a few hours.



Tobasco will clean coins and then it will start to eat them.

 

lol

 

Listen to Doug here, he knows what he's talking about. Take your time!

 

So will fish tanks! Ask me how I know

 

Let me guess! You have done it before!