General coin-related use of acetone questions

Do you guys/gals acetone every coin when you get it, or do you only do coins that have issues that can be handled with acetone? I know there are some folks who acetone every coin, and I'm starting to think it may be a good thing to do.

Can you mix coin compositions, or is each coin done separately?

Can you mix like coins in the same bath? ie, multiple silvers at once, multiple coppers at once, or again, is each coin done individually?

I know with this q, I'm beating a dead horse, but is a distilled water rinse necessary, or is a two step acetone bath good enough (acetone 1 for soak, acetone 2 for rinse)?

Feel free to add questions regarding acetone use, as this is all I can think of so far.

 

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I use a shot glass of acetone for each bath. Each coin may get 2 or 3 baths.

 

I give all raw coins a bath. I stated the reasons why in another thread today, so I won't repeat it here. Post #46:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/will-acetone-help.301486/page-3

Yes and yes, except I no longer use acetone with copper and bronze coins, ever since I experienced some discoloration with a couple of bronze coins. Some people claim it shouldn't be a problem, and they may be right, but to be safe I only use xylene on copper and bronze. It seems to performs the same function, and like acetone, it's safe to use on coins.

I always start with water first, but I can't offer a scientifically based argument for it. Just seems like the right thing to do.

This comment isn't necessarily directed at you, but there seems to be a lot of anxiety on this forum with regard to using acetone, and there shouldn't be. It doesn't react chemically with the metal in coins at all. All it does is loosen and help remove organic matter that may have accumulated on a coin's surface. I use acetone (or xylene) on every raw coin I buy, even UNC coins, because I don't know where the coin has been, how it's been stored, or what it may have been exposed to (including organic compounds that may not yet be visible to the naked eye).

 

The bold section is sort of why I asked this. I was reading another thread (here or somewhere else), and it seems a LWC developed an ugly carbon spot right on Lincoln's cheek, after it was slabbed. One hypothesis was that a grader sneezed or something, and some organic matter (eww) got on the coin during the grading process. At which point it was suggested that the TPG's could offer an acetone dip just before slabbing.

I like the idea of giving every raw coin an acetone bath, and I think I'll start doing it.

 

Every raw coin I buy - regardless of composition - goes into acetone, individually, and has for many years. I don't buy in bulk; if I did, some new system would have to be worked out.

 

On my way to ground zero for the eclipse, I stopped at the Buffalo Trace distillery near Frankfort, KY. When my experimental drug trial is finished, I'll have better use for shot glasses.

 

Otherwise, I only use acetone when it appears a coin has has organic junk on it. There is literally NOTHING I do to every coin. Each case is unique and original, and in my opinion doing ANYTHING to ALL coins is wasteful and intellectually lazy. Even doctors don't prescribe anything to everybody, but I hear Metformin may be getting close.

 

I hope you don't mind if I piggyback on this thread. Would acetone or any other product help these coins? I don't know how you'd describe what's going on with them, but it doesn't look good and they are otherwise good coins.

 

Assuming we're talking about coins worth keeping, do you put ALL of your coins into some kind of protective device (flip, capsule, coin tube, TPG slab, etc.)? Or would that be intellectually lazy?

 

Hard to tell. Acetone only works on organic materials, not toning/corrosion. The bottom coin looks corroded. Not sure about the top, but my guess is that it acetone won't help much.

 

I use acetone on almost every coin before submitting them for grading. The exceptions are for some proofs, for coins with protective coatings as issued from the mint, or for coins that for some reason I am conserving via another method.

 

One member posted: "There seems to be a lot of anxiety on this forum with regard to using acetone, and there shouldn't be."

Actually there should be as very often removing any surface film (organic or not) with acetone can leave a coin less attractive.

@Hiddendragon I'd leave them alone, especially the 1925 counterfeit coin.

 

that could be a bit concerning...

 

The reason I do so is because the early stages of PVC plasticizer infection are undetectable, even though the chemical process is actually already happening. One could 2x2 and store an apparently good coin for a few years, and it would be eaten away by the time you next looked at it.

 

Why do you think it's counterfeit? It's not a rare date or anything. These were junk bin pickups last week. In hand the 1925 just looks like a regular coin covered in black, almost like it was in a fire or something.

 

I don't think the first one was cleaned. I could be wrong but in general old Jamaican coins look like crap more often than not. I think it's the climate and maybe what they were made from.

 

Google a genuine coin and check out the rims.