Hi, I am about to send a 1956 franklin proof off for grading, and there is a slight amount of dust specs on it. Would it be detrimental to the coin to blast it with a can of dust-off before sending it off for submission? Thanks.
no, compressed air is not detrimental to the coin. In fact the TPG will use compressed air on your coin before they seal it in the slab.
You must be careful with air in a can because sometimes liquid will squirt out so make sure before you spray the coin that you spray away first then into the coin, and throw the can away when it starts to get low to avoid leakage.
Hold the can fully upright, do not tip it to the side - that will help make sure that no liquid sprays out. It is also advisable to only use canned air that DOES NOT contain alcohol.
WARNING - -**** compress air from cans can leave a residue on the coin., depening on use( don;t turn upside down) Also compress air from a compressor may have very small droplets of oil be released from the compressor, BEWARE!
Before my coins go into a 2x2 or snap tite, I take a couple pieces of paper and "fan" the coins free of any floating dust particles. Between the alcohol and possible water droplets that may or may not be in these compressed air containers, I just don't take a chance. Also, I am careful not to exhale on or near the coin. Seriously, water vapor from your breath (try exhaling on a mirror to see what I mean) will cause problems on your coins if it is trapped inside an air-tite or any device where the coin goes in "wet"...and stays "wet". So, fan your coins free of any dust and don't exhale near the coin before they are protected.
Compressed air cools as it expands which can cause condensation to form on the coin if it is cooled sufficiently. While this is essentially distilled water it can still be a corrosive influence on metals. Avoid blowing the coins for too long with each burst of air and make sure they are dry before sealing them.
