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 Replies: 7 / Views: 1,954 |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
627 Posts |
How long would one soak a penny in acetone, if one believed it was ok to do so. What would be the outcome of said penny if one would soak it in acetone.
I don't believe I would ever try it. but what if?
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
838 Posts |
I don't think a "soak" does any more than a quick dip, tissue wipe, and rinse-off. As I'm sure numerous people will follow up with: don't bother unless the coin is really dirty and lower-grade (say EF or less).
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Valued Member
United States
458 Posts |
Submerge the penny in acetone, and wipe it with a Q tip.
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Moderator
 Australia
16850 Posts |
People generally don't go around dunking coins in flammable solvents just for fun. There's got to be a good reason for it. Some good reasons are:
- it's a full lustre uncirculated coin that you (or someone else handling your coins) has just left a large greasy fingerprint on. You'd want to rinse that fingerprint oil off ASAP before it gets a chance to react with the metal surface.
- it's been sitting in an old plastic album since the 1970s and is therefore covered in green PVC goo.
- it's got paint, tar, glue, stickytape or some other foreign substance on it that won't wash off in water.
As for "how long", if the stuff hasn't budged within 10 minutes, acetone isn't going to budge it.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3592 Posts |
tfred, just try it on a common cent and see for yourself. I use it on all my unc/red finds to keep fingerprints from developing.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
838 Posts |
Maineman and sap: Thanks for the heads-up on using this as fingerprint protection on Unc coins. I agree and retract my comment to stick to acetone on lower grade coins only. If you're *careful* (which I seldom am :) it can certainly be helpful on Unc coins too.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4618 Posts |
I have about 35 Walking Liberty halves that I'm checking and grading for a friend who just lost her husband. All of the coins are circulated except 1 or 2. They were kept in a floor safe in a building that reaches 100+ each day during the summer and all of them have dark black and gray flaky looking coloring. I'm not sure that it's toning. Could acetone help with this? ANA ID: 3203813 - CONECA ID: N-5637 Clean a coin that may be worth collecting? Please DON'T! When in doubt, leave it dirty!! 
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Valued Member
United States
458 Posts |
I am thinking that it is toning, but honestly acetone cant hurt a coin.
Dip it in some acetone, and see what happens.
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Replies: 7 / Views: 1,954 |
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Posted 08/02/2011 5:37 pm
