Howdy folks, I've gotten my hands on a pretty neat 1972 Bahamas proof set. The coins have... seen better days. Seems that after years of living in their original packaging, the coins have gotten some "authentic toning" - not to mention some red dust. Now, I know that when it comes to coins, 'clean' is a four letter word. And I know that as collectors we generally strive never to clean coins. Having said that, I also know that there are some legitimate "restoration" techniques which do not damage the coin or it's surfaces and, when done property, can return the coins to their original 1970s glory. My question: what is the best approach to removing the red dust and possibly some of the unsightly toning without damaging the coin or leaving a trace of cleaning? For example, can I start by using a can of compressed air to remove the dust without any negative impact?
OK, first blow as much of the dust off the coins as you can. Second, give them a soak (1 hour to overnight) in distilled water. Next an acetone bath and let them dry or blot them dry.
I wonder if that red isn't some velvet or whatever the stuff the case is lined with. Perhaps distilled water would help that come off first like @Kentucky said.
Yeah, and those puppies were once sealed in plastic like this After getting them clean, you could look at putting some plastic wrap around both the top and bottom to keep this from happening again. Just noticed, you need a 25 cent coin...
They're such beautiful coins without that red velvet - both furryfrog and Kentucky have lovely examples. Sure wish the previous owner hadn't removed the coins from the plastic... Correct; the pineapple is missing When y'all talk about acetone, I believe this is stuff I can relatively easily acquire from any hardware store. Are there any specifics I should aim for or avoid? Ie. make sure you don't get brand X because they add Z; or it has to be at least Y% pure. If I were to give these coins a distilled water bath, an acetone bath, let the coins dry and then hypothetically submitted them to TPG, would they be identified as cleaned?
Make sure you get the most pure acetone you can get. You can get this from places like Homedepot or Lowes. Don't used fingernail polish remover. If you give them an acetone bath, then TPGs shouldn't identify them as "cleaned". FWIW, I wouldn't spend/waste the money sending these in to TPGs for grading. They are beautiful coins but not worth the $$.
Very helpful; thank you! And agreed; I wouldn't send these to PCGS, was just wondering if the coins would be "flagged."
Just for informational reasons. Since I've never cleaned a coin, Is it better to rinse an An acetone dipped coin with distilled water?
I agree an acetone bath would probably work. The Franklin Mint issued these proof sets in sealed plastic "flat packs." The Franklin Mint instructed collectors to remove these coins from the plastic and transfer them to special red cases. People who followed the Franklin Mint's instructions would find their coins ruined by the red cases.
Technically this isn't "cleaning", its restoration. Acetone and distilled water won't harm a coin's surface. Yes, proof coins have delicate fields. But these Franklin Mint coins aren't worth much over melt, so it wouldn't hurt to restore them.
I believe if the PVC was left long enough to corrode a coin, the TPG would flag the coin even if the PVC was removed.
I still have all my Franklin Mint Proof Sets from 1970s/ I kept mine in their protective plastic trays. All look as perfect as the day they arrived in mail. Lesson here is: Never remove coins from plastic holders I also at that time got a 1969 Biafra 5 piece gold Proof set from Valcambi Mint. These came with presentation box/ certificate. However coins where sent in separate plastic flips. I never took them out, still when I had them slabbed by CCCS/ they came out as PROOF 66/67s So someone in the mint did handle them.....
Though this is certainly possible, I don't believe it's necessarily the case. I think it's entirely possible that the coins were never touched; however, due to a weaker strike, the coin was born shy of PR70.
