Why is Preservation such a bad thing?

Why are you asking us question about us coins and then telling us we don't know what we are talking about? Are you new to us coins and have questions or are you an expert on us coins sharing educated opinions? I was surprised to see you could be both at the same time.

 

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I have the feeling we're being trolled. The concept of what "cleaned" means was explained in 3 posts previously, and he continues to say that he's "upgraded" his coins from "improperly cleaned" to "cleaned."

 

I'm honestly new to the field of collecting/dealing. It doesn't mean I haven't done my homework or worked on coins and am constantly refining my techniques to the needs of the market.

NGCS does make a distinction between improprer cleaning, PCGS uses the term harsh I believe, and just cleaned. They are different codes as our friend the moderator has so helpfully pointed out.

(I apologize for ruffling your feathers btw. I didn't intend to be as impolite as I was on a second reading. If you'd like to know what I'm talking about with the micro-abrasion I'd be happy to tell you and only you if there is a way to privately message. )

If I'm trolling you it's for informed opinions and I'm listening to what everyone has to say.

Cleaned, restored, conserved whatever you want to call it to me means taking a coin I get raw and restoring it as much as I possibly can to the condition the coin was when it was produced, ideally without destroying any lusters along the way. In archaeology you restore artifacts as closely as possible to their original condition and then you preserve them to keep them from degrading again/further.

As to Acetone it has a very low vapor point that's why it's cold if you spill it on yourself. It does leave a residue. I watch the heat knock it off ~50% of the coins I restore and it is generally a harsher chemical than acetic acid is. It will take off any PVA based plastics residues (Sharpy marks, Flip surfaces, etc.). If you've ever tried to take it to a simmer you'll see my issue with it's vapor point. It doesn't last long enough to transfer any heat to the coin.

Heat forces to coin to physically expand slightly and loosens up gunk.

 

Thanks, this helps me understand what you were trying to say.

I guess the more usual phrasing is that acetone has a low boiling point, or a high vapor pressure. Either way, it's as you say; it evaporates quickly, and doesn't get very hot at all before it boils away. (Do this outdoors, or under a flame- and explosion-proof hood!)

In my experience, and that of most folks here, pure acetone does not leave a residue, unless it's something that dissolved off the coin. Nail polish remover is full of other stuff, can leave a residue, and can even react with the surfaces of the coin. Pure acetone (and the kind you buy in cans at the hardware store is "pure enough") doesn't, if you use it right -- dip or soak the coin in one container, then dip it in two other containers of acetone in turn; the subsequent dips dilute any dissolved contaminants from the first dip.

There is vigorous and unresolved disagreement about whether pure acetone can discolor copper coins. There's some evidence that it can form reactive compounds on prolonged exposure to copper and strong light.

If you're needing to boil coins to loosen stuff from them, you're in a different regime of cleaning/conserving/preserving from what I'm used to, so I may not have much to say there. (Edit: any "advice" I give is mostly second-hand at best; I haven't practiced this a lot myself.)

 

Great. Let me take you at your word for all this. Would you mind showing us pre and post pictures of coins you have worked on. Seeing them post in pcgs or ngc plastic would greatly improve our ability to appreciate your discussion.