I'm new and have been seeing a lot of posts about acetone. IK have some coins that are 'dirty'. What and how should I use this on? If I were to send a coin into PCGS after using acetone would it be deemed clean? Are their any negatives to acetone? Thanks!
Pure acetone doesn't alter the coin, doesn't react with metal and doesn't remove tarnish, so it shouldn't get bagged as cleaned. It just dissolves organic matter, goo, grease and the like. It also doesn't leave behind any residue (other than what was already there) and evaporates completely. In that sense, it's safer to use than water. You might get bagged as cleaned if you wipe the coin leaving hairlines, but that's because you mishandled it, not because of the acetone.
The negatives - you have to be careful with acetone because it dissolves all sorts of plastics, paints and rubber, and has some hazardous properties. Be sure to have plenty of ventilation, be careful with what tools and containers you use, don't get it in your eyes, expect it to dry out your skin, etc. You can also easily mishandle a coin. Practice on non-valuable coins first.
Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited. Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use