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Acetone: OK For All Kinds Of Coins? For How Long?

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jbuck's Avatar
United States
188761 Posts
 Posted 12/19/2022  10:45 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Here it is...
Looking good! Time well spent (mostly waiting) for the experience!
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TinyRetreat's Avatar
United States
345 Posts
 Posted 12/31/2022  01:46 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add TinyRetreat to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I'm a bit confused ... I've always heard NEVER clean your coins. Is an acetone bath than cleaning ? Obviously, scrubbing or using an abrasive cloth is a no-no but I could use some clarity here. Thx, in advance.
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BStrauss3's Avatar
United States
4592 Posts
 Posted 12/31/2022  09:22 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add BStrauss3 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Acetone is chemically neutral to silver and gold, so it's not considered clearing (a soak, as you say scrubbing is different).

Acetone removes organic residue such as fingerprint oils, &c.

One word of warning, if the coin is spotted with organic material over time, removing it can show the fresh(er) metal from underneath the gunk, while the non-gunked areas show the results of general environmental exposure.
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crab eater's Avatar
Australia
625 Posts
 Posted 02/22/2023  04:41 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add crab eater to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Acetone removes organic residue such as fingerprint oils, &c.

Hello ,
Will Acetone remove this fingerprint?
This coin is uncirculated straight out of a mint set.

Acetone:-OK-For-All-Kinds-Of-Coins?-For-How-Long?
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sel_69l's Avatar
Australia
21788 Posts
 Posted 02/22/2023  06:40 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add sel_69l to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Acetone will not injure any coin.
Just do not use this solvent anywhere near a slab, or most album materials.
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ijn1944's Avatar
United States
19164 Posts
 Posted 02/22/2023  07:28 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add ijn1944 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Acetone will reduce fresh (very fresh) fingerprints, but not older ones which have 'etched' into the coin's surface.
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crab eater's Avatar
Australia
625 Posts
 Posted 02/23/2023  12:57 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add crab eater to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
O.K ,thanks for the info , I will give the coin a bath and see what happens, only cost me $3. Cheers.
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TinyRetreat's Avatar
United States
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 Posted 02/24/2023  01:11 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add TinyRetreat to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I keep coming back to my question of "cleaning" coins ... Acetone is ok ? Friction cleaning is bad !?

Always operated on a "no cleaning" basis ... Experience appreciated.
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ttkoo's Avatar
Australia
2533 Posts
 Posted 02/24/2023  02:26 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add ttkoo to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
@TinyRetreat
I think it is personal choice. Some here, quite rightly would never clean a coin in any way, acetone, ultrasound, certainly not scrubbing, picking, wiping etc.
I think that most of those same people wouldn't collect very many coins that "needed a clean", concentrating mostly on slabbed coins or XF, AU and PF that were kept out of harms way, and away from circulation.
Speaking for myself, I like a good honest circulation coin sometimes more than a nice shiny boxed proof, and I haven't progressed to any slabbed stuff yet.
For the most part I don't touch them unless they are very grotty and green. When I feel that a coin needs to be 'restored', it involves soaking in 100% pure acetone, maybe a gentle pick with a distilled water-soaked bamboo skewer sharpened to a very fine point, perhaps the application of some Verdicare, and perhaps a soft wipe with a clean microfiber cloth.
This is not something I would do to a XF coin or higher, nor to a coin with a high value (and high is a subjective thing).
Here is an 1889 8 Doubles which I picked up for around $6 AUD. The build up of grease and green over time was enough to make me think it could do with a make-over.
For me it was worth the hour or so I spent carefully evacuating the grease and grime build-up from the recesses.
What BStrauss3 mentions is worth consideration. Any removal of organic muck will normally show the area underneath has a varied patina to the rest of the coin. Exposing the coin to the elements and some nice natural sunlight can help to mitigate the difference.

Acetone:-OK-For-All-Kinds-Of-Coins?-For-How-Long?




The Ox moves slowly, but the Earth is patient.
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crab eater's Avatar
Australia
625 Posts
 Posted 02/27/2023  01:33 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add crab eater to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Your Doubles coin looks much better IMHO ttkoo.
In regards to the fingerprint on my 50 cent coin, I placed the coin in a shallow bath of Acetone ,enough to cover the whole coin, in a ceramic bowl .
A check after a few hours revealed most of the Acetone had evaporated
So covered the coin again and left it soaking overnight.
All Acetone had evaporated when I checked in the morning.
Gave it a rinse in a fresh batch ,here is the result.

Acetone:-OK-For-All-Kinds-Of-Coins?-For-How-Long?
Acetone:-OK-For-All-Kinds-Of-Coins?-For-How-Long?
Under a light and magnification there are still slight fingerprint marks.
Vast improvement though.

Quote:
Acetone will reduce fresh (very fresh) fingerprints, but not older ones which have 'etched' into the coin's surface.

Does this mean the fingerprint was fresh from the seller I purched the coin from or could the fingerprint have actually occured at the Royal Australian Mint when it was made in 2001?
Edited by crab eater
02/27/2023 01:35 am
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ttkoo's Avatar
Australia
2533 Posts
 Posted 02/27/2023  01:58 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add ttkoo to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I'm only guessing but I'd think the fingerprint was fairly fresh, the acetone has removed all of the organic particles that it could, but maybe give it another soak, this time in a glass jar with a screw top lid to stop it evaporating. It can't hurt and may give a better result. It looks 100% better though, worth the effort for sure.
The Ox moves slowly, but the Earth is patient.
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TinyRetreat's Avatar
United States
345 Posts
 Posted 03/03/2023  12:13 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add TinyRetreat to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
ttkoo, Thank You ! Your coin looks great ... I'll do an experiment and make a report.
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