| Author |
 Replies: 12 / Views: 2,333 |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
5828 Posts |
|
|
|
|
Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
I had to rub them with acetone soaked ear swabs, as instructed from coin collecting for dummies, v.2 They recommend rubbing coins? The book was written by dummies, too, then. PVC does not cause toning, so we have to be looking at two different processes here. These all soaked at least overnight, right? It takes time to penetrate and loosen all of the infestation, especially with the time these spent in the hazardous environment. The first 1925 looks like terminal-state PVC damage, but the lot as a whole looks like PVC was the lesser of its' problems. |
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
5828 Posts |
Yeah, it recommended rubbing it with a Q-tip... Most of the coins turned out fine! I will soak them overnight, as they did not. Thanks for the info.
|
|
Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Especially with circulated stuff like this, my warning against rubbing is more about the fact that you're just painting the whole rest of the coin with the nastiness instead of actually removing it. Acetone evaporates far too quickly to be an effective cleaning agent if soaked into an application tool. Therefore, you're not only spreading it, but scrubbing with it. If these had actual raised spots of PVC, I wouldn't hesitate to suggest you take a toothpick to those spots, for instance.
Advocating some sort of pristine, no-touch approach for coins like this is silliness. On a Proof, things would be entirely different, you know?
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
I think the damage was already there beforehand - you just exposed it further. Once a coin goes south like those have, there is probably very little you can do to bring them back.
The good news is that they were in common circulated grades anyway, so you are only looking at a few bucks to just replace them with something in kind that has better eye appeal. As long as it wasn't one of the four keys, they are all reasonable in circulated grades.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
I think these had been improperly cleaned before you ever got them. There is really nothing you can do but let time slowly recolor them, and they will never look completely normal again.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
7375 Posts |
 Excellent advice has been given. After the acetone, a little Verdicare might improve the color "a little." Really, only the '26S has any value anyway. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4932 Posts |
Maybe if you keep them in your pocket for several months, you'll see a slow change.
|
|
Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
Maybe if you keep them in your pocket for several months, you'll see a slow change.
Undoubtedly. Circulation eventually heals all cleaning wounds. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
5828 Posts |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4589 Posts |
Also, burn the book. Either the advise was dangerous/stupid, or it was written such that it was easy to interpret wrongly. That's not something you want to have around...
-----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4867 Posts |
I wouldn't clean a coin under any circumstances. I feel the process takes something away and ruins the coin.
|
|
Moderator
United States
188110 Posts |
Quote:
They recommend rubbing coins? The book was written by dummies, too, then.  Quote:
Also, burn the book.  Next time, post your questions here first. We are here to help.  |
| |
Replies: 12 / Views: 2,333 |
|
Posted 04/11/2015 10:49 am
