So we were at the dealer's last weekend and lamented the bills that spent decades in PVC holders in plain 3-ring school binders. The bills look like they were soaked in oil -- you can see right through them, they are dark, etc. The dealer says he soaks them in acetone. We said, "Wha!?" So I tried a couple of insignificant bills as trial runs. I soaked the bill in a zip-loc held in a box. Soaked for 1 minute. Photos follow. A simple $1 Barr Bill. The top is the "BEFORE" and the bottom is the "AFTER"
You know..when a note is washed or pressed, you can simply hold it beneath a light (heat source) and it will begin to curl right away! I saw this demonstration at Baltimore and was shocked at how simple it is to tell what has happened to a note of question!! RickieB
Acetone evaporates quite quickly and completely..when wet, I would surly keep it away from a heat source.. RickieB
Once made a mistake and used acetone on an old engraved stamp, and it removed some of the ink. The photos of after look less deep than the before, or is that just the removal of the oil? I use hexane on stamps and stock certificates if absolutely necessary. It is also used as a watermark detection fluid. Rickie, is this true also for a bill that has been steam pressed? I realize dry heat will set the fibers, but wondered if moist heat would also? Jim
Jim: While in Baltimore at the show, I saw this demonstrated. It is my understanding that any pressed note or note that has been washed will curl. This was performed at the PCGS Grading Booth in Baltimore and I have not tried it with all sources as of yet. It would provide a valuable lesson to learn by using some common notes for an experiment with different substrates to confirm. RickieB
Very intriguing !! I wonder if they rely on pressure alone in the final making of the roll, or if heat is somehow involved with the rollers. Thanks for the info. Jim
