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 Replies: 15 / Views: 883 |
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New Member
Australia
5 Posts |
hello everyone
I'm pretty new to the Forum. this might be a silly question to some. U know you should clean coins. but with some exceptions. will acetone damage the coin if cleaned or soaked.
thank you for any help.
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
24906 Posts |
Acetone is the best cleaner for coins.
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4135 Posts |
Just make sure you get pure acetone and not nail polish. But it at a hardware store.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
819 Posts |
Acetone will not react with the metal.
Do NOT rub the coin with anything even a cotton swab
will leave hair lines.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
6244 Posts |
Acetone will clean only some materials inorganic and not organic. Depending of the coin, if soak to long can affect the color and will be irreversible. I say this because some alloys develop self-protection oxides and some of those can have very bad reactions for the coin and further conservation. Except for PVC and cardboard residue I never use acetone..
Edited by silviosi
01/19/2023 12:03 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2280 Posts |
I'm surprised you refrained from advising this newcomer to boil his coin in boric acid.
I'm proud of you Silviosi.
You realize when you know how to think, it empowers you far beyond those who know only what to think.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
"Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
62064 Posts |
Doing the wrong thing will ruin a coin. These don't have to be sterile in order to be collected. An altered surface can remove up to 90% of the value as a loss by doing the wrong thing. Proof coins are even more delicate.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
6244 Posts |
@ NUMI: Do not be proud because I am not the adept of the acetone except for very small amount of time and on specific circumstances.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19112 Posts |
Try experimenting with acetone on a few non-valuable coins. I use it fairly often with no issues.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2252 Posts |
I dip all my circulated zinc LC's, that I want to keep, in acetone before putting in a 2x2. Looking at the coins in the flips 6 years later, they're still nice and shinny with no adverse effects from the Acetone.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
6244 Posts |
@ 11997755: As I state: The alloy of the coin play a big roll here. Also what the self defense oxide this metal will develop. Then you has the environemental oxides or bases developed, not to speak about contaminants on different forms (mono, bi or complex element). Other think it is we go to try clean what kind of element? Gram positive or negative? And also the alloy is ionic positive or negative?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
572 Posts |
Perhaps a semantical issue, but a significant issue nonetheless.
Acetone is for conserving coins, not cleaning them. It removes most of the organic compounds that coins pick up during their life from hands, pockets, cup holders, etc., that react with the copper and cause toning/browning of the coin while being non reactive with the metal itself.
By soaking the coins in acetone (or xylene, which is equally effective and just as safe to use in small quantities) you are removing foreign substances that are causing and/or will cause the tone and color of the coin to deteriorate over time, thus preventing further degradation of the coin.
Conserving and preserving coins for the enjoyment of future generations is a good thing.
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New Member
 Australia
5 Posts |
thank you all for you time and comments on my question about cleaning coins with acetone. will try a soak with a couple of coins. thank you again rveryone
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
62064 Posts |
Practice on junk coins first to make sure you won't ruin a good coin.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10635 Posts |
While I agree with all of the above, I must stress, soaking in acetone is one thing for preservation, cleaning is quite another. Never never never ever clean your coins, period.  |
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Replies: 15 / Views: 883 |
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Posted 01/18/2023 11:01 pm
