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 Replies: 28 / Views: 3,714 |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
298 Posts |
First attempt at using Acetone on a coin, interesting result. I presume what has happened here is the acetone has removed some grot and revealed the verdigris that was hidden underneath because it now stands out? Before:  And After:  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1823 Posts |
I like it before you acetone it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1211 Posts |
Not sure the coin was a good candidate for an acetone bath in the first place...
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
4227 Posts |
 with jerseyben |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19963 Posts |
The coin was coated with oil or some other substance in order to hide the corrosion. The acetone removed it and revealed the true coin.
This is a prime example of why I recommend using acetone before conservation with VC.
Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
There are lots of what is called Old Sayings. One of them is Let Sleeping Dogs Lie. Now you see why this saying got started.
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
Well, except that verdigris was hidden and at work corroding the coin. Just because it couldn't be seen doesn't mean it wasn't there. BadThad nailed it (but of course he would know!). A trip to Thad's web site will reveal that the green corrosion can often be stopped, but when it progresses too far...
Maybe some owners or sellers innocently use olive oil or something similar, which was often recommended as a long-term soak for verdigris on copper, and MAYBE it halts the progress (it's a long story but personally I do think it helps), but as Thad suggests, oily substances on a coin or token can hide genuine problems.
-Duncan
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Valued Member
 United Kingdom
298 Posts |
I'm going to try VC on it, it'll be a useful little test piece and i'll post the results once done. I'm surprised some have said this wasn't the sort of coin that needed acetone, on closer inspection there was a lot of gunk around the lettering which maybe doesn't show up too well in the first pic and which I initially thought was just dirt & grime.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1391 Posts |
I am also suprised some would suggest that it wasn't a canidate for acetone, as acetone will not harm the coin, it will only clear out organic gunk. Clearly you needed to remove the organic gunk to see the problems with the coin. Now you see there is verdigris on the coin that needs to be delt with or it will continue corroding the coin. I don't see that you have done anything wrong.
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Valued Member
United States
125 Posts |
Acetone isn't something I would keep coins in for extended periods of time.
It's a powerful solvent, yet in my experience with the stuff, if it doesn't get the material off the coin quickly, that stuff isn't going to be coming off with the help of an acetone bath.
~CWS
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Moderator
 United States
189120 Posts |
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I'm going to try VC on it, it'll be a useful little test piece and i'll post the results once done. Good call. I think coin is a great candidate for it. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19963 Posts |
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Good call. I think coin is a great candidate for it. I would soak it for 24 hours and then gently work the tough areas with a toothpick while under fluid. It looks light enough that you should see 90+% removal. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Not sure how much that coin is worth but hopefully not a lot. Continuing attempts to clean may end up with a nice looking coin but is it worth all the trouble? And after all that, then what? Yet always good to experiment. If that original was coated with something like an oil, very possibly that alone would have stopped further problems. Of course now that is to late a possibility. Next just have to see the final outcome.
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
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Acetone isn't something I would keep coins in for extended periods of time. On the other hand, I would freely recommend that you keep your coins permanently encased in liquid acetone if you feel like it (and want to go to the complexity). By the way, that mint mark is giving me a headache.  |
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New Member
United States
27 Posts |
would blue ribbon remove the green corrsion and protect the surface if used sparingly? I still have about 8 bottles of the stuff.
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
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would blue ribbon remove the green corrsion and protect the surface if used sparingly? I still have about 8 bottles of the stuff.
I don't think Blue Ribbon is the solution for verdigris. It's a cleaner & preservative - the numismatic community is kind of divided over its' status as "acceptable" for conservation, as it leaves behind a permanent coating by design - but either way not strong enough to cope with verdigris permanently. |
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Replies: 28 / Views: 3,714 |
Posted 02/12/2014 08:15 am
