Acetone And Copper Test

Here's the next test coin, a lightly circulated wheat I pulled from searching. It has nice, dry surfaces so nothing should interfere. Same conditions as the 2012 test.

It would be great to find the "best" way to clean dirty pennies, discolored pennies, or pennies with gunk on them through this experiment. That would be pre-82 and post-82. I have never heard of your cleaning method ninamason... I might try it.
Do you happen to have any before/after pics you've done?

Thanks!

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.