Washing Silver Generic Rounds

I bought some silver rounds a few months ago and about ten of them had fingerprints on them. I didn't notice them until I got home from the LCS that I bought them from. Is it a bad practice to wash them? Will their value to a dealer go down if he can see that they are washed?

 

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it's just bullion silver so I would say no. silver is silver. it does not change the weight of them.

 

Generic rounds generally go for bullion value + a slight premium. Now if they are unique or very decorative rounds, that might add a smidgen. If they are REALLY bad, the premium might be a little less. With that being said, it never hurts to have them looking as good as possible. Fingerprints are tough to remove. I would suggest 1) acetone bath 2) hot soapy water soak 3) thorough water rinse 4) distilled water rinse 5) lay on soft towel and blot dry...no rubbing.

 

Thanks for the help. My concern was the sell back value being diminished. I will try this method.

 

Fingerprints can etch themselves into the coin and will become impossible to get rid of without removing enough metal. Prints on generic bullion rounds won't really change the value. If they won't come off with acetone there's not much else you can do. If they were mine I would try the acetone and not worry about it.

 

Obviously do NOT scrub them.

BTW, are you sure they're high-mintage generics? Check ebay sold listings for numismatic/rarity premium.

 

Yeah, I am sure they are not high-mintage. I see them online for $.89 over spot all the time. Sometimes even lower.

 

Acetone bath.

 

Acetone will do NOTHING to visible fingerprints. You need to buy a jar of E-Z-est and quickly dip the rounds for about 3-4 seconds with the sink on then immediately put them under hot running water to rinse the dip off. Depending on how old, ie how deeply etched the prints are, this should remove most or all of the prints

 

If the prints are etched, they are no longer organic and acetone would do nothing, if, on the other hand they are still fresh, they are still organic and acetone might help.

 

I think the prints are etched. I will give them some acetone and if it doesn't work I will just give them away to my nieces and nephews who love getting them as gifts for getting good grades.

 

What a nice guy...should I send you my report card...

 

Yes but if you can see them then they probably have etched in to a degree already

 

Possibly, but the acetone won't hurt.

 

Get a Ultrasonic cleaner don't use solvents..

 

get a cheap ultrasonic ($15 or so) and use demineralized water

 

Ok, I got some acetone from the Home Depot and some chemical resistant gloves. I have never used acetone before and after reading the directions and warnings I figured out I better now what I am doing. I will do it outside. Any suggestions on how much, how long, what to put it in, and what to touch it with when I take the rounds out of the acetone? Basically I have no idea what I am doing and I don't want to hurt myself or my silver!

 

I am a chemist and am probably biased, but acetone isn't that bad. Limited exposure for a limited time is meaningless (incidentally, one of the most common fingernail polish removers is acetone...but don't use those, sometimes they have perfume or lubricants added). 1) probably a glass container would be better...could be a small glass that you could put a book or something on to keep it from evaporating 2) do it in a garage or in a unused room if possible, not outside 3) I would give it a few hours to overnight and then pour it out onto a tissue or towel, blot it dry and see what you got.

 

I use a small glass cooking ramkin a plastic wrap to cover it with. Pour enough to cover one coin at a time. Let sit for desired time, remove with fingers and gently place on soft cloth or paper towel. The coin will air dry in a few minutes. Don't pat or rub dry. I do it in my study and the smell isn't too bad. Good luck.

 

Agreed. (I'm a former chemist.)

You'll easily detect acetone by smell. Typical odor threshold is a comparatively low 20 ppm. Whereas, the OSHA permissible exposure limit is MUCH higher (1,000 ppm).

Before you reach that limit, you'll likely experience a burning sensation in your eyes (500 ppm). Gag reflex too, I expect. Dizziness, nausea, etc. All the details: http://physics.utsa.edu/memslab/MSDS/Acetone.pdf

Point is, long before there's a problem, you'll experience hard-to-ignore warning signs.

Anyway, a healthy body will rid itself of short-term exposure to inhaled acetone vapors...

8-Week Inhalation Toxicity Study (rat): 19,000 ppm acetone 5days/week for 8 weeks produced no signs of toxicity other than slightly reduced weight gain compared to controls.

Just use the same common-sense precautions you'd use for gasoline and other flammable solvents: Don't smoke nearby, keep it secure from kids & pets, stay away from possible ignition sources.

Lots of other household items are more worrisome. Certain paint thinner formulations, drain cleaners, fertilizers, pesticides, cosmetics, OTC & Rx drugs, etc etc etc.

Yet somehow, life spans dramatically increased in the 20th century.

Go figure.