How Exactly Should I Go About Putting This Seated Quarter In Acetone?

I can tell the hairlines are there from an old cleaning, probably market acceptable now. First, take a cotton swab dipped in acetone to lightly swab the surface, and tell us what comes off. I usually do that about 5 times, using a fresh q-tip every time.

I would not use a q-tip at first, you can dislodge junk and then drag it around on the surface causing more light scratching... Id do a few soaks first at the very least

Lot's of different opinions here. However you do it, please post after pictures.

GR58, were you removing the 'hand coloring' on that ASE?

Thanks very much, guys. I will go pick up some acetone hopefully this weekend and pics will soon come your way!

If acetone does not work - refer to this thread:
http://goccf.com/t/268087

BadThad has done an excellent job in making a list of what should and should not be used.

Acetone is an organic solvent. Xylene is an inorganic solvent. Neither can hurt your coin.

If none of the above works, I know it sounds crazy, but I have used the following technique many times to remove surface gunk - its a bit extreme:

1. Get some porcupine quills - Yes, ebay - a sandwich bag full is 4.00 last I looked.
2. I put my coin under magnification and carefully clean the dirt out of the gaps in the devices using the sharper end of the quill (non-follicle end). I use the sharper end b/c it is a precise point.

Why quills?
1. Much smaller points than a toothpick so they get inside small places like inside the top and bottom curves of an S mint mark.

2. Like toothpicks, quills will not scratch the coin (unless a micro particle of the gunk on the coin is hard enough to and gets between the tip of the toothpick/quill and the coin surface)

Be gentle with the tip - eventually it will fray or bend over and become useless. I generally get through many coins with one quill.

Different quills are different - some long and thin with extremely small points, others are fatter with tiny points. Both have their uses depending on how small the device you wish to remove stuff from.



If not all gunk can be removed (it is hard and will not move), I soak in acetone to hopefully have the dirt soften somewhat and repeat until done. Sometimes this is a long process and I have given up. On a very few I have not been able to remove the gunk. I will try xylene soaks/quill removal over and over these in the future.

I have done a LOT of coins this way as I have a lot to go through to look for errors and cannot see the details from typical circulation gunk.

(Yes, ebay - 4.00 a sandwich bag last I looked. No, not giant African or other exotic quills -- just typical North American quills)




Flammable, yes - however it is a common misconception that acetone if toxic. Acetone is even found in grapes, and if memory serves, our bodies make small amounts of it.

Of course, like anything else, I would not think drinking large amounts would be healthy.

If acetone was toxic it would not be found in nail polish remover as we would have millions of little girls/teens poisoned from it. And most of these girls never have used any ventilation techniques.

Xylene is different - read the container - best used outside as heavy exposure can make problems arise. Google it.

A minor correction to the above: Actually xylene is also an organic solvent. It is just non-polar while acetone is polar.