| Author |
 Replies: 12 / Views: 2,617 |
|
|
Valued Member
United States
364 Posts |
I recently bought a MS Liberty nickel fairly cheaply . It has a small amount of green stuff on the obverse. I like my coins slabbed and want to send it to NGC but am not sure if I should try to remove the green stuff first, or if theyll grade it with it on, or if I remove it will they still grade it or will it come back cleaned? Thanks in advance for you input. |
|
|
|
Valued Member
 United States
364 Posts |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
2540 Posts |
Roach:
That green gunk is PVC residue from those lovely soft flips that are used everywhere.
NGC will only body bag the coin with PVC.
So, either get some MS70 (from a coin dealer) or go to a store and buy Afta, it will safely remove the PVC.
You may also try nail polish remover, but I have only used that on silver, I'm not sure how it would react on copper or nickel.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
954 Posts |
DO NOT use nail polish remover. Go to the hardware store and buy 100% pure acetone. Put it in a glass container in a well ventilated area and put the coin in it. You may want to change out the acetone several times. It will just evaporate off of the coin, no need of any special drying.
Edited by Becky
04/19/2007 6:18 pm
|
|
Valued Member
United States
364 Posts |
If I use acetone will NGC still grade it?
|
|
Valued Member
United States
346 Posts |
Yeah, they'd still grade it. There's no reason they wouldn't.
|
|
Valued Member
United States
194 Posts |
I agree. Acetone is the safer of the ways to clean a coin, but only put it in there for a few seconds. Good luck. Can you post a pic of the whole coin? I just want to see it. Phoenix  |
|
Valued Member
United States
364 Posts |
Only a few seconds? UH OH! I let it soak overnight! I checked it after a few seconds, a few minutes and a few hours and the green was still there. Maybe its not PVC.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Belgium
2078 Posts |
I had some plasticizer residue on 35 year old gold sovereigns
Only noticed it taking them out of the bankvault to scan them
Some kind of chemical reaction had sucked out the air and left the selfsealed 2x2 stuck to the coin surface leaching out the plasticizer
Took acetone more then 24 hours to remove the gunk because the coins had reacted with the 2x2
Anyway I resisted any mechanical help cause even a single finger wipe
would have been noticeble
|
|
Valued Member
United States
90 Posts |
I have a bit of Green Gunk on 2 stars of my 1883 Liberty nickel, but am reluctant to try cleaning. Good to know that it would be put in a body bag if I sent it off that way. |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Of course it is not PVC. The expression that it is PVC is a standard statement when no one knows what it is. The other statement also used and again is usually wrong is Verdigris. Of course the Acetone did not remove it. Never use nail polish. It contains numerous other ingrediants and it varies from one manufacturer to another. If you use so called Acetone from any store, always put some on a clean dish and allow to evaporate completely. If there is a haze left the Acetone has absorbed some of the inside material of the can it was in. That also varies from one manufacturer to another.
As to the greenish STUFF. Any coins that contain Copper will eventually be affected by a thing called Oxydation. Copper reacts with Oxygen to form Cu2O. This substance in turn reacts with Carbondioxide (CO2) in the air when sufficient mosture (H OH) is present. This reaction then produces the greenish stuff called Copper Carbonate [CuCO3-Cu(OH)2]. Sorry about the numbers not being sub numbers representing quantity of atoms per molecule. Also, note water is in reality H OH a Hyroxide Radical of Hydrogen.
Summation is if you want it slabbed send it in as is and add a note suggesting the green STUFF removed if possible. I suggest leave it as is unless you know what your dealing with.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Belgium
2078 Posts |
Wow you know your chemistry Nail polish typically contains a colorant to make it appealing to the eye . Used to be yellow know pink here in Europe Also it contains an oil or re-oiling product because acetone will leave your nails brittle . That is why several manufacturers here have switched to MEK Methyl Ethyl Ketone as nailpolish remover I guess it is worse as a remover but more kind on the nails and cheaper in additives |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1203 Posts |
I have to agree with carl on this one, as I've seen too many coins get 'played with' and be returned in a body bag. So send it in just the way it is now and 'maybe' they won't body bag it.
My feeling is that it has, at one time or another, been cleaned and the green is the result of that cleaning. To clean it again will just compound the situation. IMO
|
| |
Replies: 12 / Views: 2,617 |
|
1905 o.jpg
Posted 04/19/2007 3:44 pm
