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 Replies: 12 / Views: 1,521 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3237 Posts |
I have a coin with what I believe is wax stuck to the front of it, and acetone doesn't seem to be doing the job. I read on the chemistry stack exchange page that either toluene or xylene might work. Are either of these safe for coins?
Edit: seeing also that vegetable oil could work? Edited by SamCoin
04/05/2020 8:40 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
5394 Posts |
If it IS WAX just heat the coin up a little bit should come right off
Then acetone .
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3237 Posts |
How would you recommend heating it so as to avoid damaging the coin, Pacific?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7935 Posts |
Yes. Toluene is safe. Or mineral spirits.
Yes also to vegetable oil as a second choice.
Could even try a soak in Goop or GooGone if you've got some around.
Edited by tdziemia
04/05/2020 8:50 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3237 Posts |
The coin in question  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7935 Posts |
OK, but where is the front that has the wax?
I would worry that anything removed from that coin would make it look worse.
Just my opinion, but maybe others here have had success and can advise.
Edited by tdziemia
04/05/2020 9:20 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3237 Posts |
Unless I'm mistaken, the wax is all the darker brown stuff on the coin, td. It's on both sides. My bad, I see I wrote "on the front" in the post description, but yeah, both sides.
Edited by SamCoin
04/05/2020 9:24 pm
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Moderator
United States
34397 Posts |
@sc, a couple thoughts for you, since you are asking for advice. First, if the other side of this Half Cent looks much the same, then I wouldn't touch this coin with anything--I'd just leave it be and keep the surfaces as original as possible. Second, you definitely should be flattening the staples on your 2x2s. Left proud like they are now, they might scratch adjacent coins while you are storing them and you definitely want to avoid that. "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3237 Posts |
Thanks Spence, a lot of people have said that on here when I've posted coins, and I'm slowly going through and doing it, but it's not really a high priority since I store them all in slide boxes that keep the flips about half a centimeter apart anyway.
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Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
If it's wax that's on that coin I would try soaking it in hot distilled water for a few minutes just until the wax softens up , then see if you can peal it off of the coin .  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Toluene is safe but really smells and is harder to get than xylene and xylene doesn't smell anywhere near as bad.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
An Arc Welders Torch would melt any wax on that coin. However, after that it would be difficult to find the coin.  If it is really wax, placing it in boiling hot water also might get rid of that wax. Yet the problem may well be it is not wax at all. And if not, such attempts may well ruin that coin completely. Best let sleeping dogs lie. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
824 Posts |
I like the way the coin looks as it is.
I would leave it alone.
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Replies: 12 / Views: 1,521 |
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Posted 04/05/2020 8:46 pm
