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Replies: 42 / Views: 4,120 |
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Moderator
 United States
188761 Posts |
Quote: Here it is... Looking good! Time well spent (mostly waiting) for the experience! 
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Valued Member
United States
345 Posts |
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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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4592 Posts |
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.
-----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
625 Posts |
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. 
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Acetone will not injure any coin. Just do not use this solvent anywhere near a slab, or most album materials.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19164 Posts |
Acetone will reduce fresh (very fresh) fingerprints, but not older ones which have 'etched' into the coin's surface.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
625 Posts |
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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Valued Member
United States
345 Posts |
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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Pillar of the Community
 Australia
2533 Posts |
@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. 
The Ox moves slowly, but the Earth is patient.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
625 Posts |
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.   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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Pillar of the Community
 Australia
2533 Posts |
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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Valued Member
United States
345 Posts |
ttkoo, Thank You ! Your coin looks great ... I'll do an experiment and make a report.
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Replies: 42 / Views: 4,120 |