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 Replies: 17 / Views: 11,764 |
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New Member
United States
3 Posts |
I Found a 1943 Steel Penny and it has a strange grey coating that rubbing alcohol, buffing, gun solvents, or soap and water won't even begon to touch. Can someone help?   |
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
 to CCF. First rule in coins is do not clean them. The 1943 is a zinc coated steel core cent.The gray you see is the zinc coating that has toned. John1  |
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New Member
 United States
3 Posts |
Thanks! I'm trying to type with my arms over all of my Foreign and US coins, It's a challenge |
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Moderator
United States
56855 Posts |
I'm trying to type with my arms over all of my Foreign and US coins, It's a challenge  John1 |
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New Member
United States
3 Posts |
I was looking up values, and rarity of all of the coins I have, and they are all on my laptop. But thanks for the help.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1005 Posts |
Best not to clean coins. Sounds like you've already gone beyond that with this coin.
CLR makes the steel cents look pretty clean. Drop it in rinse it off.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8516 Posts |
Quote:Thanks! I'm trying to type with my arms over all of my Foreign and US coins, It's a challenge Ha, I know exactly what he's talkin about because I do the same thing. I have 1981 to 2012 Jefferson nickels all laid out in front of my keyboard going through boxes of nickels and culling as I go along. Oregon coin geek.....*** GO BEAVS ! ! ! ***
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Valued Member
Canada
314 Posts |
Just wondering, still learning..i know you are not suppose to clean the coins..? But using CLR or acetone isn't that cleaning them..? Just wondering.
Edited by rickynic
01/21/2013 7:14 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1005 Posts |
Absolutely CLR is cleaning a coin. I offered the idea here because the coin in the original post has already been cleaned with a few methods.
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Valued Member
Canada
314 Posts |
Thanks BmOney... I totally understand, I was just wondering if it would be considered cleaning.. now I know.. Thanks.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19949 Posts |
Cleaning it will take away any numismatic value. These are REALLY inexpensive in mint state. Just go buy a nice one to replace it. You've probably already spent more on cleaners and time than the coin is worth.
Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Quote:
But using CLR or acetone isn't that cleaning them..? CLR is an acidic household cleaner and should never be used on coins. Acetone is an organic solvent that only removes surface contamination but will not interact with coinage metal. Since acetone will not harm a coin, it is not considered to be cleaning in the numismatic sense(cleaning= damage). |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1005 Posts |
I agree with you biokemist6,
After The rubbing alcohol, buffing, gun solvent, soap and water for the coin in question a rinse in something potent can't hurt, and might bring out the desired look for Briang1996.
Adding disclaimer to my CLR advice...
CLR is bad for coins. Do not try it at home. Or do try it if you want to.
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Valued Member
Canada
314 Posts |
Thanks for the tips everyone, so acetone is safe then.....
You learn something new every day.
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
Thanks for the tips everyone, so acetone is safe then.....
You learn something new every day. Acetone is "safe" as regards the coin, yes. But not always recommended. If your coin is toned, the areas under the crud which acetone will remove are likely not toned since they're not exposed to the air. What would result from treating such a coin with acetone is a blotchy appearance which will declare to the whole world that the coin has been operated on. No better than going at it with a brush. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Yes, it is safe for coins and reasonably safe for you as long as you follow some simple precautions.
1)Only use in a well-ventilated area away from ignition sources.
2)Minimize contact with skin. It will not make your fingers fall off or anything like that but your skin will end up dry and leathery with prolonged contact. Latex gloves will not hold up to it and nitrile will slowly deteriorate as well.
3)Always perform an evaporation test with a new lot of acetone. Pour a small amount in a clear glass dish and let it evaporate, check to see if any residue remains.
4)Soaking a coin for a few hours is fine but if the coin is heavily contaminated, you may saturate the acetone and need a fresh soak bath. Most contaminants will be removed with a short soak and a swish.
5)Always rinse your soaked coin with fresh acetone to eliminate the possibility of carryover contamination. A water rinse is not necessary and will only serve to add water back to the coin after the acetone has dehydrated it.
6)If you do not have a glass container for soaking, you can use #5 plastic(polypropylene) but make absolutely sure to check the recycling code before use.
7)A shot glass or small tumbler glass works best so you can stand a coin on its edge and simultaneously cover both faces.
8)Always keep your soak container covered to minimize evaporation.
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Replies: 17 / Views: 11,764 |
Posted 01/20/2013 4:50 pm
