Question About Acetone?

First I would try dabbing with a soaked Q-tip...Then letting the q-tip lay on it a minute if that didn't work...always proceed slowly because you can't back up. Some people rinse in distilled water, I just blot dry.

If this is your first time using acetone, I would suggest trying a low value coin first, and not a CC. IMO of course...

This oldtimer has been using acetone for years. I massage it on gently with a Q-tip then gently lift it off with the dry end. I've never had an experience wherein I regretted using it but for a BU coin once. The longest I've ever let a coin sit with a light coating of acetone has been an hour or so. Just make sure that the coin is dry before putting it in a flip or album. I've never used distilled water in conjunction nor given any regard to purity; my humble suspicion being that such concerns matter little.

For this CC dollar, it may take a number of treatments to remove the residue, layer by layer.

I will typically rinse a coin with distilled water first to remove loose surface debris. For a coin with minimal surface contamination, I will usually just give it a dunk and swish. If the gunk is heavy, I will soak for a while(5-15 minutes) with maybe a gentle wet touch of a q-tip. If the gunk is not loosened after 15 minutes, soaking for an hour or longer will probably not help and it is a sign that you may need a stronger non-polar solvent such as xylene. Once said gunk is removed, the coin gets a final rinse with clean fresh acetone.

The final rinse is important to remove any dissolved contaminants left on the coin. As long as your final rinse is clean acetone, there is no need to use water as well. I use a polypropylene(#5 plastic) squirt bottle for my rinsing, I would not recommend using any other type of plastic.

A large coin like a Morgan could be propped upright in a container such as a whiskey tumbler, smaller coins can soak in a shot glass. It is ok if your skin contacts acetone but you should try to minimize contact. Acetone will also strip the essential oils from your skin resulting in very dry skin, another reason to minimize but not necessarily avoid contact. Obviously, you have the flammability and intoxication concerns which are minimized with proper precautions. To determine acetone purity, preform an evaporation test. Pour a small amount in a clear glass dish or bowl and let it evaporate. The acetone is ok to use if there is no residue left on the glass.

That's obviously tape residue. You can use a glass or metal (no plastic) container, enough acetone to cover, cover with a plate or something to prevent evaporation and let it sit for a few hours or overnight, then finish the cleanup with Q tip, as mentioned.

where do you get acetone with the kind of purity that is needed? What kind of cost are we talking?

I suspect the stuff in the paint department is pure enough. That's what
I've used without incident.

Well I just finished with my first attempt at using acetone. I let the coin soak for 15 minutes and then took a q-tip and gently cleaned the obverse, took a pic and there was still a little left so I repeated the q-tip and that removed it. Took another pic and noticed some on the reverse. Sprayed the reverse with acetone, rubbed with a q-tip and here is the finished coin....

Before






After





Overall I think it turned out OK. Still a little on the reverse. Do you all think I should let it soak for an hour and try the q-tips again. I really do not want to try anything stronger than the acetone.