Hello ! I am a new member of the community! I want to ask how can i clean a PVC damage to a silver Antiochus tetradrachm ??? Stored in moisture and in PVC? Thank you !
P.S apply a photo of the coin in question on which I notice light bluish green traces? PVC DAMAGE ???
Please ,enlarge the image, and look behind the head, at the bottom, there is a small point very light green. I think there are slight traces in the high parts of head and hair? Maybe I'm deluding ??
I don't see it either, but maybe that's just because of the limitations of the photograph. That is one beautiful coin. If it really bothers you and keeps you from enjoying the coin, then yes, maybe you should try cleaning it. Just be really careful and take it very slow. I've never use acetone, but my guess is just about any non-polar, like paint thinner or gasoline, liquid might work. Just make sure that once you dissolve the plastic you soak it up right away. You don't want to smear it or that will increase the problem. I'd use a Q-Tip or cotton swab and restrict to as small an area as possible. Or maybe even use a toothpick to apply the liquid and rub it around a little, then sop it up with the cotton swab. Good luck. Another thought. If you have access to a stereo microscope, I wonder if you could just lightly scrape it off.
Thank you for the advice ! But I do not have access to stereo microscope to my regret! Just wondering , if there are definite signs of PVC damage at all? Is acetone safe? Thanks for your reply ! I apologize for my bad English
It's hard to see the greenish tint, but I will take your word that it has some PVC plasticizer residue. The easiest thing to do is dip/soak the coin in acetone and rinse with distilled water. Acetone will not react with the metal in your coin. Make sure you use pure acetone and not nail polish remover, since that stuff contains chemicals other than acetone. I would start with a soak for 10-15 min, rinse with distilled or deionized water, and see if the PVC is gone. You can check by rubbing the edge (not the surfaces) of the coin with a tissue to see if it picks up any green residue. Xylene would also work, but it is has a few more safety precautions than acetone. And, if you aren't familiar with handling chemicals, be sure to follow all of the safety precautions. Acetone is flammable and will react/dissolve many plastics so be careful not to spill it. There are a number of old posts on Coin Talk that offer advice on how to handle acetone, so you may want to do a search. That is a very nice coin
