Acetone And Copper Test

If your read a lot of the posts on this forum about cleaning coins, you would have seen more than a zillion time, slight exageration, DO NOT CLEAN COINS.
Not intending to bore you but in most instances the STUFF on coins is in many times from a chemical reaction with something in the air and the metal of the coins. Removing that STUFF, removes part of the metal of the coins.
For example with Copper, and not just coins but Copper pipes too, as they get exposed to moist air a thin layer of Cuprus Oxide {Cu2)} forms. As such coins are exposed to more moist air and there is Carbon DiOxide present, more reactions occur to form Copper Carbonate [CuCO3-Cu{OH}2]. People living in areas where SO is present in the air from Fossil fired furnaces, power stations and steel mills, this further reacts with Copper.
All in all, the removal of all such STUFF on the surface of your coins takes away some of the metal.
Vinegar contains an acid. Salts are abbrasive. Worse yet is your common table salt, NaCl, is not exactly pure and can and usually does contain all sorts of STUFF. Some of which may do more damage than good.
DO NOT CLEAN COINS.
Thad: So many things can effect what your doing. Possibly even your breath on a coin or near a coin may create effects in this experiment. Dust in the air, moisture in the air, stuff on a coin itself from the packaging too may effect these types of experiments. To do it properly you would sort of need a perfectly clean coin, clean container, vaccum area, etc.
AND don't forget if in the Sun, use the correct Sun.

So when the 1934 D LWC I stoled on ebay from the guy that claims the pink color indicates an acetone bath, Finally arrives, I should give it an acetone bath..

I'm new here, but used to collect back in the early 80's. I've been experimenting with acetone to remove circulation crud. My experience is it has been safe but don't know if I'd recommend it on copper.

I just q-tip rubbed a bucket Indian Head cent that was pitted and corroded with acetone as a test, and her cheek now looks like she has pink chickenpox. The acetone removed the corrosion but only in certain spots. I have however use it with apparently harmless results. I think with copper, it's a gamble, and depends on the coin and what's on it.

P.S. - I have discovered however, that there are coin like tubes that are made of *Nalgene* plastic which are surprisingly safe for acetone, and are soft, unlike hard glass. Got them at a camping supply store. Acetone will melt almost any other plastic, even yellow lighter fluid plastic containers. I may even be putting a protective layer of plastic on my coins that may prove to be the best holders ever discovered!

I just used acetone on approx 200 copper Canadian pennies that I found CRH from the 30-40's and were caked with gunk. I would put about 20 in a jar of acetone and they would sit in it while I cleaned them 1 by 1 with a qtip and then did a quick rinse with acetone after. So they sat there for 15 min maximum. I didn't get all the gunk off but there was NO distortion of the coins color at all. I was pleased with the outcome and will continue to use it on copper.

Carl, if you read my whole post, I wasn't advocating doing it. I did this as an experiment when I was a wee thing (like nine years old) and wondered if this might affect later acetone dips.

24 hours brown Wheat cent, left initial and right 24 hours.

I'm going to repeat this test because I'm surprized in the color difference. It didn't turn pink but the color appeared to change. I don't believe my camera settings or light changed but I'm going to repeat to make sure. Something is funky with my white balance....look at my background (white copy paper). I must have put the coin in a slightly different position on the paper.

Being that long ago, probably would have no effect at all. If you mean the same coins and after all those years, Acetone should do nothing except remove new dirt. Hopefully there is no salt left on those coins now.
Thad: I still think there is a possibility it is something your doing and not the Acetone. I've done so many dips in that stuff with Copper coins and no reactions at all. However, never tried it on a new Cent. Although not noted anywhere, I wonder if the outer layer is not just Copper. To save money, the Mint may be telling their suppliers to mix STUFF in with the Copper.
Or your breathing on those coins.
Or something is in the Acetone.
I'm sort of wondering all sorts of possibilities on how Acetone can possibly effect Copper.

May not be an answer to why things change in Acetone but there was an experiment a long time ago. In this experiment an attempt was made to make the purest water possible. Once made it was placed in a very clean glass jar and sealed. Eventually this jar was placed in a Museum somewhere and is now all cloudy. It was discovered that the glass was slowly disolving into the water. Glass is not perfect and does not only disolve but flows as well. Yes it takes time but it may well be possible that even with this type of experiment with Acetone and Copper in a glass container, some of the properties of the glass may be being absorbed into the solution. Knowing the type of glass, all it's properties, etc., may be a necessity in this type of experiment.
From Wikipedia:
The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica (SiO2) plus sodium oxide Na2O from soda ash, lime CaO, and several minor additives. Often, the term glass is used in a restricted sense to refer to this specific use.