Good Book On Coin Cleaning

Well if you ever come into an abundance of them, feel free to drop me a line perhaps we can line up a trade!

Looks like you can purchase an abundance of porcupine quills on ebay...

Make sure you get the ones that look about the size of a toothpick. There are some on ebay (just looked) WAY too big.

If I ever can get more I will likely not remember to alert anyone in particular, but would put a notice likely in the for sale folder.

There are two ends that can be used - the end that would stick in a porcupine "target animal" which is the better end for cleaning as its a needlepoint, and the follicle end which can also be used, but does not come to a point per se. It slims down and then has an oblong-ish "head" on it. Its still good for cleaning out the small places though.

These on ebay look about right and are a lot less expensive than I thought they would be: 5.00 for about 300. The auction says they should be cleaned, but I never did this with mine. Thrre hundered would last me a long time. I think I use one for about 50 coins. I am gentle to make them last.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/porcupine-q...AOSwR29ZB8wl

I enjoy coin conservation. It is relaxing and satisfying. You have to go very slowly and be quite precise when using tools.


Because the toothpick is fibrous and porous, it can pick up grit. The most common offender is small particles of sand. This is very much like broken glass.
If you get a grain of it stuck to your toothpick, you will scratch the surface of the coin.

Round here, we see the occasional roadkill.
I wouldn't know how to get them off a dead one. Maybe use a pair of pliers?

Quill recovery. I would think if you stretched a rag and placed it over the top of a few quills, in much the same way you stretch clear wrap over a kitchen bowl, the quills would penetrate, get stuck and pull out of the animal to get dropped into a bag or in the trunk.
Disinfecting might be a good question for your Pharmacist.

Acetone is nail polish remover.

There is acetone IN nailpolish remover .. but that's often not the only ingredient.... the other things in nail polish remover may react with the metals or leave a residue... hence why you only use pure acetone.