It Is Not Laquer

Is there any rule about responding to your own topic to get off the orphans list?
Jim

Jim

You said the cents were all bright, this is not something I would expect from PVC damage,, PVC tends to make the coins kinda ugly and discolored ?

How did you come to know that it is not laquer and that PVC is the likely culprit ?

Rick

Difficult to actually tell what is on your coins without an analysis. However, it probably is something like lacquer and not a plastic like PVC. It is not the PVC that hurts coins, it is an additive that makes the platic PVC flexible. It leaks out and corrodes metalic items. However, just as with carbon14, ther eis a decay factor with PVC. Way, way back many people knew this so they coated their favorite coins with oils, lacquers, varnishes, etc. Way back not to many people worried about damaging coins. They just had to look nice. Regardless, try the Actone system. Use it in a glass dish, turn the coins over with a glass utensil, remove with a glass utensil, rinse with distilled water, put on a piece of soft cloth and blow dry on warm with a hair dryer. If the stuff is still there, you may have a more serious problem with any removal of the contaminate.

my Two Cents ; long as you are in no hurry, set blow dryer at/on : air only: warming my cause some chemical reaction , or just set is a breezy area , even if it is a electric fan .?.longer soaks (with copper can be done using #1 (olive oil)alone,#2 distilled vinegar with some[a small pinch] table salt(dissolved)in it ; then a 1 minute soak,(this works best on 'verdisgris'[ the 'green stuff'] then followed by: with a good water rinse; might be effective, as-well.of course [less time] yet warning More reactive] ALWAYS USE NON VALUABLE coppers first!!!cleaning of any kind should always be a last resort ' not a first '.for those that follow the "no cleaning rule absolutely" please forgive me ?!? I indeed have "tried" various cleaning methods and i'am only sharing with "best intentions" in response to the posters question...if indeed coins are coated in a laquare start with short 'soaks in acetone , then if needed increase 'soak times' X 2 :example. 2minutes , then 4minutes , then 8 ect.

As usual many misconseptions as to what the green stuff on coins may be. Also, never, ever, ever use Vinegar on a copper coin. It contains approximately 4% Acetic Acid and that will form Copper Actate, Cu(C2H3O2)2-H2O. which is in reality Verdigris. This reaction will in fact ruin the coin. The green stuff on Copper coins is almost always Copper Carbonate. This is normal of raw Copper. It starts with exposure to Oxygen forming a redish patina on the coins. Cu+O2=Cu2O. Now this is attacked by more stuff in the air, moisture and Carbon Dioxide, (H OH) & (CO2), Forming [CuCO3-Cu(OH)2] and this is the green patina, not Verdigris. Please note moisture, water is in reality Hydrogen Hydroxide, a radical with a loose canon of an H proton present. If your in an area of high SO or SO2 and humidity in the air this will further react with the Copper Carbonate to form either Cuprous Sulfite or Sulfate pending the type of SO radical present. Please note the difficulty in the usage of lower case numbers representative of the amount of atoms or combined chemical radicals.
I too have done numerous experiments on coins for cleaning and toning utilizing a large variety of materials. However, I strongly always suggest whatever you attempt to use safety gogles and in an area where damage would not be to costly. Further always remember individuals that suggest the use of chemicals will not visit you in the hospital, pay your medical bills, help your rebuild your house. So be carefull.

Thank you everyone. I tried a very quick dip in acetone on some later and poor quality coins and had positive results. There is a film on at least half of them and the acetone removed it with out changing the look of the coin at all. Naturally, the result I wanted and got rid of that.....artificial look. Thx again, Jim