Why Does Acetone Keep Leaving Behind Stains On A Coin?

Reading that I have to ask, how does it affect naked eye appeal?

Since the nitrile glove may have left some residue on the coin and the residue should dissolve in acetone, you might try soaking it in fresh acetone overnight, then rinsing again in fresh acetone. Don't know if that will work, but it couldn't hurt.

If the stains only occur after a scan... don't scan it.



"To Dip or Not to Dip... that is the question!"

p.s. changing the word cleaning to dipping doesn't diminish the fact that... You Have Altered Your Coin From Its Original & Natural State & Processes. For shame... lol

It depends on who you sell a coin to. Some buyers don't care about a few stains or scratches but others will pay less or not buy at all. But even if I never sell it, I prefer my coins to look as nice as possible.




You can see the stains even without scanning the coin. Scanning it just makes it easier to see. If the stains are extremely minor then you definitely have to scan it otherwise you won't see it.






Acetone doesn't alter the metal of the coin in any way. It only removes foreign organic material. So it's technically not considered "cleaning" or "dipping". Using a harsh chemical dip that removes toning and eats at some of the metal is considered "cleaning" or "dipping".

Sure but, do you ensure every potential buyer knows about these "few stains or scratches" or is the theme still, "buyer beware/trust no one"?

Will you use the best scan you got of the most visible stains or will you unfocus your scanner's gaze or use a stock photo?

I would assume that there are also buyers who would not want to purchase a dipped coin neither.

There is that saying about thinking outside of the box. I don't think it good to place myself in a box to try and think my way out of it, ridiculous. Yes, I have challenged the status quo. My way of thinking... I can drink a glass of water with no ill effect but not a glass of acetone. A coin can't survive unscathed in water but a chemical like acetone is coin friendly?

Art can be touched. It can be breathed upon. As soon as any application of anything permanent or semi is placed upon it, it is no longer original. A restoration team can eliminate the carnage to where that an untrained eye can't tell but I assure you, the team sure in the heck can.

I am not screaming from the rooftops that acetone does affect a coin's patina nor am I claiming it doesn't. I guess I am mostly just making conversation while trying to get my point across that... to remove surface stains and foreign organic material from my clothes is called, cleaning, but on a coin it is called dipping. This is a justification to overlook and forget about the first rule of the club, "don't clean your coins".

As for status quo's go... I had another challenge with it here early on. Binary Notes... lol, whoever named this variety named it wrong but the professionals here still support it. "Binary" means two of something, "Binary Code" means 1's and 0's. A note that reads 2323232 is not considered a Binary Note by our pro's... interesting.

Thanks, btw, for not pouncing on me in furious anger for my engaging in this post, I have become accustomed to threats of violence from some I have challenged.




So, a collector's preference to have an undipped coin is a "loss"? I will have to assuredly and wholeheartedly put my foot down on this one and absolutely state that you are wrong! I cannot go around and say your choice to do anything with your coin is wrong, it is your choice. My choice to have an authentically undipped, uncleaned, unwashed, unenhanced coin is my choice, it is definitely not a loss!

If you sold your coin and I bought it and then I came here and found out you dipped it in acetone multiple times to get the melted nitrate glove removed, I would want an immediate refund. Would it not be prudent to let your buyer's know?

I see ads that state the coin for sale has been cleaned. I also see ads where the seller claims their note has not been cleaned nor pressed. Who do you think I believe more... the dealer who is upfront or the dealer who claims something bad wasn't done to their listing piece?

I had a saying... "there is no buyer beware when the buyer is aware" as well as, "it is better business to do fair business than to get rich quick once." The latter is saying... keep your customers longterm, picking their pockets for the immediate present is a rich man's path to poorness.

I agree with Zurie's opinion. The key is whether the original surface was altered. If the original surface of a painting was altered, the experts can detect the change in the surface. If the original surface of a coin was subjected to acetone, the experts cannot detect any surface change.