Inheritance coins

With everyone's advice about not cleaning them how could acetone not hurt it?

 

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@Rachel Perez ...using acetone does not harm the surface of the coin, it only removes dirt and debris, any organic substance. It does not remove tarnish or luster.

That being said, it takes experience to use acetone on coins. You can soak coins, but never rub them removing the debris, only pat dry carefully, or if using cotton swabs, roll lightly over the surface and repeat if necessary. Rubbing will leave hairline scratches and reduce the value of the coin. Third Party Grading firms call this “improperly cleaned” and will not straight-grade the coin, but return your coin as “Details, Cleaned”, keeping your money in the process.

Isolate acetone use to circulated coins only. Use non-valuable coins to learn how to use acetone, and then, afterward, use it in only as the last excuse. It is not a use-all, fix-all procedure, and you can permanently damage your coins if you don’t know what you are doing.

DO NOT take coins out of sealed protective packaging unless you are submitting for grading to a TPG...follow their instructions. And, never soak proof coins, leave them sealed in their packaging...Spark

 

Dang, you were up early. Or, like @lordmarcovan, work at night.

Do a search of "acetone" on CoinTalk and you'll see perhaps hundreds of references to the use of acetone on coins. Silver is fine, don't use on copper. There's cautions to its use on silver, too, but they are more for the human than the coin, as the stuff is flammable and volatile. But I've used it for decades and it's perfectly safe.

Steve

 

I guess @Spark1951 and I were typing simultaneously. Great minds.......

Steve

 

And what does it do on copper? I've heard here that acetone is okay with copper, and also that it isn't. I am going to experiment with some old Lincolns just to see what happens to them.

 

@Rachel Perez the real harm in "cleaning" coins comes from either rubbing them and scooting surface debris across the coin, scratching it, or using corrosive chemicals that would dissolve or alter the surface. Pure solvents such as water, acetone, alcohol or xylene will not attack the coin's surface, they will remove debris. After soaking the coin, either pat/blot it dry or allow the solvent to evaporate and there should be no harm to the coin. This is really an interesting looking coin. Perhaps take it to a local coin dealer (google search) and have them look at it. Don't get too paranoid that they will try and rip you off, you don't have to sell it, you just want their opinion.

 

I was reading a post from @GDJMSP just the other day; I seem to recall him stating it was fine on silver but not recommended for copper. I've used it on a lot of silver, but never copper.

Steve

 

Googled and found from Coin Talk Apr. 2, 2007, Coin Chat forum by @gxseries ...”Using acetone on copper coins - the scientific results are out”. Read and apply however it works for you. Do test pieces with some cannon fodder Zincolns.

After reading this 12 YO post, it seems the length of time and ambient light are 2 factors to consider before using acetone on copper coins.

However, for most folks, using acetone for short periods of time ( I have never soaked longer than 6 hours for any coin and never in sunlight) like 1-60 minutes, there should be no adverse results. Especially if you rinse with distilled water and pat dry. I have used acetone sparingly but regularly for the past 6 years and I have seen no detrimental result for any denomination...Spark

 

Use the term "restore" and you could get answers. Nobody ever cleans coins. They "conserve" them.

 

Wanted to show you another Coin that I'm a little excited about...

 

@Rachel Perez ...you will get better response by starting a new thread for a new coin. I suggest you label it “1969-D Kennedy struck through grease”. That’s a guess on my part, you need to ask a specific question about the coin you are posting.

I get it you are excited, but in what way are you excited about this coin?...it has evidence of circulation and looks to be of average wear for the year...Spark

 

Not so much excited about the one coin as I am about the numerous amount of coins I am finding and researching. Guess you are an experienced collector with years under your hat regarding coins but me being new at this I find it all very exciting and so very interesting! And you showed interest in my 1925 Morgan with the mysterious s I thought you might be someone I could ask about the half. Sorry to bother you! Have a great rest of your day!

 

@Rachel Perez ...you didn’t bother me, I trying to teach you to post your coins for better success.

Have you posted the half dollar in the new thread yet?

...and I am still interested in what you find out about the 1925 Peace with that mysterious S on it...Spark

 

Yes I posted it in the error forum yesterday.. Did you see what Fred Weinberg posted in response to my 1925.. I'm still so confused!

 

@Rachel Perez ...yes, unfortunately it is disappointing when an expert like Fred tells you what it isn’t and not what it is. Often times, in all fairness, they cannot for a variety of reasons:

It’s hard to nail things down from pictures only...in-hand is always better, and secondly,

Your coin has mystified many of us here on the forum, or else we would have produced a more definitive response by now.

Many members will tell you the coin is not worth being slabbed by a TPG, but this may be what you will have to do...Spark

 

How do I do that? Get it slabbed? Not even sure what that means...

 

There are several reputable companies that will professionally assign a grade to your coin and investigate for some forms of errors. They then encapsulate the coin in a "slab" of plastic. Best way to get this done is to take your coin to a coin shop and have them send it in with one of their batches.

 

@Rachel Perez ...what the forum members warn about is not to send in coins to Third Party Graders (TPG) if the coin is of low value, ANACS, NGC and PCGS to name a few.

In the case of the Kennedy half dollar, you may end up spending $15-20 to have it graded, spend even more to get it attributed as “struck-through” but afterward end up with a coin only valued at $4.50 USD. The cost is more than it is worth.

In the case of the 1925 Peace dollar, the mystery surrounding the S on the forehead may only be resolved by sending it in to a TPG.

I fervently hope this helps you to not only put things into perspective but also avoid future problems with other coins you inherited...Spark

 

That certainly made up my mind about the Kennedy half dollar...thank you so much!
I'm still up in the air about the 1925 Peace Dollar...if in fact I do want to have it graded, how would I go about making that happen? I am a leery of sending it anywhere..what if I never get it back.... No amount of insurance money could ever replace it!!! But..... it's something to think about.

 

So if I do decide to have it graded and slabbed, you don't think I should send it directly to the company myself? Not sure I know of a reputable enough coin shop, I'd rather chance sending it certified mail....no middle man! LOL!