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 Replies: 10 / Views: 2,536 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2764 Posts |
Hello everyone,
I read some coin collecting book and they talked about using denature alcohol to clean coin. Any body know where I can buy it or how does it different from the 70% alcohol using in cleaning wound / disinfection?
Also, the purpose of using denature alcohol is to dip the coin, not using any material to scrub it right?
Thank you all for your time.
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Valued Member
United States
173 Posts |
Hello SA4H,
I sure you have already heard or read - NEVER CLEAN COINS. Unless you know and "understand" what you are doing you could very easily ruin a great coin. In your Bio you state "Just starting out in the Hobby of Kings" at this point in time may I suggest you spend your time learning ABOUT coins, trying to decide where you want to start, what you want to collect, and the BIGGIE - learning about grading and how to grade, etc., etc., etc. Better to spend your money on a good book or Reference Manual than on a bottle of Denatured Alcohol.
In answer to your question about 70% DA - the purity is the problem, it's the other 30% that could leave impurities on the coin. Something like a scenting agent could do the damage. As to scrubbing "NEVER" "NEVER" "NEVER" ( did I say "NEVER") scrub a coin, even lighting rubbing can cause fine hairline scratches on the field of the coin. I'll deny I ever said this but, 100% Pure Acetone is a whole lot better to use than DA, especially on Silver
If you MUST try cleaning, practice on a coin you know has little or no value
Thanks for letting me rant.
PS Be VERY CAREFUL of products like MS70, if you don't know what your doing, well 'nuff said.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
882 Posts |
I agree. When I first started I was complaining about having dirty Indian cents. My step dad told me to put the coin in some salt water and stir it up to remove the dirt. Now, 8 or 10 years later, I still respect my non-coin collecting step dad's advice, but I feel like an idiot when I look at the few Indian cents I cleaned. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Denatured alcohol is also known as ethanol or ethyl alcohol- grain alcohol. Denatured means that it has had another chemical(s) added to render it unfit for human consumption. Denatured alcohol is generally used as a solvent and fuel for lanterns or camping stoves.
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Valued Member
United States
439 Posts |
You can usually find it at a hardware store or someplace that sells paint and painting supplies.
But really, cleaning coins is a touchy subject and you should heed all the previous advice. Personally, I think some problems can be cleaned up and the appearance of a coin can be improved in some instances but you really have to know what you're doing. Those conservation services are proof of that but then they're professionals so you have to take that into account. If nothing else you may just learn not to clean coins at all, heheh, just make sure you're not messing with anything you want to save when you're experimenting.
Edited by TSOTL
08/13/2007 10:35 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
WOW. ducky1100 said it all. Difficult to top that answer.
Always, always remember DO NOT CLEAN COINS.
When purchasing any solvent, read the lables. Many subtances are not in the best interest of coins.
Best use for alcohol is in Martini's. With Olives of course.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
OH, I forgot the question. Try Walmart, Kmart, Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Menards, etc. in the paint department. Occationally a small town area in Tennessee will have someone making something similar. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Ducky may have "said it all" but he didn't answer the question. Biokemist6 gave the brief and correct answer.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Close. However, not something added.
The word denatured, is referring to the removal of a specific
property (in this case, its usefulness as a beverage), as opposed to
changing the ethanol chemically. This is done in one of several
ways, the most common consumer way being addition of
methanol. Methanol is wood alcohol and is harmful to
ingest. Getting methanol or ethanol on your skin is not harmful
unless it is quite a lot for prolonged periods of time. The
methanol content in ethanol is normally 10% or less and it will be
further diluted with the water in your mixture.
However, if you can't drink it as a Martini, I don't really care.
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Valued Member
United States
144 Posts |
Well, Biokem was right in that alcohol is always denatured by adding something. Methanol is frequently used, which is horrible. Propanol is a better choice, since you are likely to vomit. Methanol will just make you go blind, if you don't die, which seems a gruesome way to make sure someone pays the alcohol tax. But I guess I digress off-topic.
Back on topic: the original poster also mentioned scrubbing: a long time ago, I very gently wiped a tiny dirty spot on a silver half dollar with tissue. It visibly wore down a high point with no effort. I was very surprised, and it was highly instructive (actually worth trying on a piece of junk silver to see how easy it would be to ruin a soft silver coin). I'm surprised any silver coins survive being in a pocket.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Got to go along with you there. I still remember a Silver proof coin with a little haze on it. Picked it up dirt cheap due to the haze. Thought it sure couldn't hurt to try a piece of cotton with Acetone on that haze. WRONG. Your right. Stupid Silver is really soft. I was shocked. Even cotton can leave lines.
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Replies: 10 / Views: 2,536 |
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Posted 08/13/2007 03:47 am
