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 Replies: 16 / Views: 2,234 |
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New Member
Philippines
32 Posts |
I heard that it's not a good idea to clean coins. But ive encountered coins that in my opinion really needs cleaning. should one clean his/her coins? if yes, what's the best and safest way to do so?
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
Please post pictures if you can. The only exception that you should clean coins are that if the damage is in it's early stages like PVC or rust damages or else you should NEVER bother.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
577 Posts |
How would you go about removing PVC?
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New Member
 Philippines
32 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by gxseries
Please post pictures if you can. The only exception that you should clean coins are that if the damage is in it's early stages like PVC or rust damages or else you should NEVER bother.
i dont have any in mind. I'm just asking hypothetically. |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
madhandles, you can try using acetone. It's an organic remover.
DIC like I said, in general, NO. Or is that a bit difficult to understand?
My partial coin collection http://www.omnicoin.com/collection/gxseriesMy numismatics articles and collection: http://www.gxseries.com/numis/numis_index.htmRegularly updated at least once a month. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2540 Posts |
Mad:
Buy acetone, a common brand is Afta, just BE CAREFUL! Highly flammable!
Also the fumes are toxic.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
There really should be a separate forum called Cleaning Coins. It is probably the most commonly discussed topic on all coin forums. Same for all antiques. First of all cleaning of coins is depending on what you intend to do with them. If you just want a collection of nice shinning coins to show people and have no intent of reselling the coins, giving to someone that is a coin collector, clean away. If you value coins as a hobbiest or as an investment or something of value to leave to someone someday, don't touch them with anything.
As noted one of the most commonly suggested chemicals to be used to clean coins is Acetone. It will remove most plastics conected to a coin. If you decide to try it, just buy the stuff at Waslmart in the paint department. Place some in a GLASS dish, place the coin in that with a GLASS type utensil, turn after a few seconds, rinse with distilled water, place on a cotton cloth, blow dry with a hair dryer on warm, not hot.
However, when using any chemicals that you are not familiar with that are recommended by people you don't know, remember those people will NOT visit you in the hospital, NOT help you rebuild your house,
NOT help you reconstruct anything damaged by the missuse of a chemical.
Sumation is leave sleeping dogs lie.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
751 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by just carl
There really should be a separate forum called Cleaning Coins.
I seem to recall a poll or question--maybe by forum mom--about demand for a dedicated cleaning forum. I think it's high time for one. These posts are all over the place!Not only can we consolidate the information, making searching for information easier, we can have sticky topics, including: - Why clean coins
- Why NOT to clean coins
- How to clean coins
- How NOT to clean coins
- Market acceptable cleaning methods
- What gets a coin bodybagged?
- How does conservation differ from cleaning?
One of the objections when the subject was discussed earlier was that this information might encourage cleaning or give the impression that this Community condones it. I find this extremely unlikely in view of the number of times cleaning is brought up by new members. It is analogous to opposing sex ed in high school because it might encourage promiscuity. On the contrary, if we consolidate this information, it might actually result in FEWER posts about cleaning. I hazard that we might all appreciate that. |
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
I believe a nice, sticky Cleaning FAQ would be nice, but the threads won't go away. Neither will I ever support separating the topic into a subforum. The people asking those questions are not just coin neophytes but, in many cases, online community neophytes as well. Shuffling them off to another forum could easily be construed as pushing them away.
I propose we come up with a definitive thread on the topic, something like, "How (not) to clean a coin," and sticky it. Then, we can link it in threads like this one, and ask the original poster to ask any clarifying questions in the thread (s)he posted. Either way, I strongly urge that this topic stay in this forum.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1304 Posts |
Being away from the hobby for a while gave me the chance to read alot of forum info. From this I can say DO NOT CLEAN YOUR COINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a very informative forum. Listen to what is being said. The hardest thing to do is follow advise, but this bit of info. do DO NOT CLEAN
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
DIC, welcome to the forum! As you have already no doubt learned, there's plenty of expertise among the members.
Regarding cleaning, unless one is an expert and highly knowledgeable about coins, chemistry, and metallurgy and do not want to ruin a coin forever and ever unto eternity, DO NOT CLEAN A COIN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
There are some exceptions as always, e.g., ancient coins (Roman, Greek, etc), but none which a novice should undertake without the aforementioned education.
Fred
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New Member
Philippines
32 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by gxseries
madhandles, you can try using acetone. It's an organic remover.
DIC like I said, in general, NO. Or is that a bit difficult to understand?
@gxseries. I don't understand why you have to be condescending. I was merely responding to your request for me to post pictures in which I responded that I didn't have any in mind because my question was hypothetical. I did not say that I rejected your answer nor did I say that I did not understand it. I don't know what gave you the impression that I was repeating my question again. You asked for something and I gave an answer. Or was that a bit difficult to understand? @everyone else. thanks for sharing your knowledge and for being patient to a novice such as myself. It is much appreciated.  |
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Valued Member
United States
179 Posts |
Hi DIC, welcome to the forum,,,,,I for one understand the challenge of finding nice CLEAN coins in the philippines, the climate, humidity, and the conditions of past wars, really work against copper and silver there. Most of my Philippine and Viet Nam coins show the effects of their hard life. But, as most of the above posts stress, I resist the urge to clean them, but I do seal them from the air and try to preserve them in their present condition.
One of the biggest problems with some of my 14th century to 19th century Viet Nam coppers and bronzes is the tape and glue used to attach them to pages and albums in the past. I am experimenting with a few common examples of little value to try to find a way to get the glue and tape residue off, with little success so far.
Again, WELCOME, it's great to have you here.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
What I was suggesting is not necessarily a separate forum, but a place or sticky or something where people with that topic can go for complete examples, stories, etc about cleaning coins. This may also bring people from other forums here. If you were on say the PCGS forum and someone brought up cleaning coins they could always say check out the coin Community Family. This is the type of thing that brings many people to the PCGS forums. They have the coin dictionary, coin prices, etc. Such separate items brings people there. What I was suggesting is to just beat the other forums to this topic as a place of continuous and educational information on cleaning coins.
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by fastfords1
One of the biggest problems with some of my 14th century to 19th century Viet Nam coppers and bronzes is the tape and glue used to attach them to pages and albums in the past. I am experimenting with a few common examples of little value to try to find a way to get the glue and tape residue off, with little success so far.
fastfords, I have the same problem. I have two "collection albums" I bought in Vietnam with every single one glued to the pages or cards. While I don't think any of mine date back to the 14th century, at least one goes back into the 18th century. I bought them for peanuts and that is their current value with the glue still on them. The glue is about the most persistent stuff I've ever seen. I've tried acetone, alcohols (isopropyl, ethanol, and methanol), and boiling water and the glue remains as firm as concrete. If you ever determine a solution (npi) which will dissolve the glue without dissolving the coin, please let me and hundreds (thousands?) of other RVN collectors know. Fred  (Absolutely unrelated to the topic, but I had to try out the new smilies.  |
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Valued Member
United States
390 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by Morgan Fred
quote:
Originally posted by fastfords1
One of the biggest problems with some of my 14th century to 19th century Viet Nam coppers and bronzes is the tape and glue used to attach them to pages and albums in the past. I am experimenting with a few common examples of little value to try to find a way to get the glue and tape residue off, with little success so far.
fastfords, I have the same problem. I have two "collection albums" I bought in Vietnam with every single one glued to the pages or cards. While I don't think any of mine date back to the 14th century, at least one goes back into the 18th century. I bought them for peanuts and that is their current value with the glue still on them. The glue is about the most persistent stuff I've ever seen. I've tried acetone, alcohols (isopropyl, ethanol, and methanol), and boiling water and the glue remains as firm as concrete. If you ever determine a solution (npi) which will dissolve the glue without dissolving the coin, please let me and hundreds (thousands?) of other RVN collectors know.
Fred (Absolutely unrelated to the topic, but I had to try out the new smilies.
Fred, Maybe you could send one of those coins to NCS and see what they could do. Maybe they will tell you what they do as well so you would know for the rest of your coins. Just a thought, although it might be pricey. |
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Replies: 16 / Views: 2,234 |
Posted 01/05/2007 10:22 am
