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

I wish you the best, though I am skeptical that acetone will help much. In any event, given the evident cleaning, I don't feel the coin is market-acceptable at the grade.

Polar vs non-polar and trying not to get technical (I hope)

Some gunk-to-be-removed will react better to polar substances than non-polar.

Polar: Having a (slight) charge on either end - poles - like a magnet

Picture the typical Mickey Mouse symbol made of three circles. The "head" is an oxygen atom. The "ears" are two Hydrogen atoms. Although the Oxygen and Hydrogen atoms are tightly bonded to each other in the molecule, approaching the bottom of the "Micky Mouse head side" of the molecule reveals a slightly negative charge there since only the Oxygen atom is encountered at that side. Approaching the "ears" side of the molecule a slightly positive charge is noticed since the combination of the two Hydrogen atoms are positioned there.

Hence one side of the molecule is slightly negative and the other positive. The molecule has a slight positive side and a slightly negative side -- it is something like a tiny magnet - it has two poles.

Polar substances dissolve by the charges on either end of the molecule reacting with the "gunk" to be dissolved. Picture little magnets pulling apart gunk-molecules off of a large clump of gunk.

Non-polar: Carbon dioxide is a molecule that has a straight-line shape -- picture three circles in a row. The middle is a Carbon atom, the two end ones are Oxygen atoms. Since the ends of this molecule are identical Oxygen atoms - the same kind of slight charge is on both ends. It has no "poles."


So how do non-polar solvents dissolve gunk?
Well... non polar molecules do not constantly have poles.

Non-polar substances technically can have a pole for very (very, very...) short moments. How? The electrons that bind the atoms together are constantly moving. When the electrons making up a bond just happen to be closer to the inside atom, then the outside atom's outer, exposed side will have a slight charge.

But as soon as the electrons align themselves again (think how fast they move!), that charge is gone. This micro (micro, micro...) amount of time the molecule has a charge affects the other molecules around it and you have a weaker affect (weaker magnets) pulling the gunk apart.

Some gunk is too toughly bonded to itself for a non-polar solvent's weaker "magnets" to pull it apart.


Non-tech as I can make it...after all, kids read these threads.

Want more? Look up dipole moments as a good place to start.

I currently use wooden chopsticks to help handle coins in acetone. I also use my fingers, Ok I'm not recommending that at all, especially for nice coins (or nice fingers). Tried plastic cutlery once but acetone was melting them quickly... won't those "CoinTongs" also melt in the acetone?

Also, I have an awesome glass candy dish with lid that has a wide mouth so easy to access. Am I the only one who sometimes cleans gunk off of circulating coins, and then releases them back into the wild (spend em) just for the fun of it? Really helps you practice on different coins and substances with no downside.

Not when handled correctly. It is perfectly safe for coins.

Earle - that's not completely true (that Acetone doesn't affect coins).

There is a discussion raging about this ATS. There are some circumstances reported where acetone (damp environment with light) creates small amounts of ascetic acid, which does affect copper coins. It seems to be rare and very unpredictable.

Certainly it seems safe enough for silver and gold coins.

But remember, it only helps with organics and plastics it will dissolve (which shouldn't be on your coin anyway).

FWIW, I use nitrile gloves with acetone, even though it's not 'dangerous' to fingers, it does dry out the skin something fierce.

Sorry .. for not checking back on this thread.

Yes .. I put the ASE into the acetone to remove the baked on paint.
I sometimes leave the coin for three weeks to get all the paint off.

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Depending on the coin. I can gently slide the coin into the jar.
And sometimes pour the coin out with the acetone.

Sometimes I will gently scoop the coin out with a metal spoon.

Thanks for the clarification. My coins are always capped inside a baby food jar so there will be no evaporation anyway.

Did a 24 hour soak. Not really sure what to think, the PVC area does look better, but the coin has a "brighter" look to it. By the way, these pics are quite bad. In hand there's only slight hairlines. Should I keep soaking it till all the green is off? Thanks.

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