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Is it safe to use acetone on a Shield Nickel?

GRANDAMGRANDAM Posts: 8,353 ✭✭✭✭✭

A friend showed me a Shield Nickel that is a family heirloom. It is not worth much but is important to them.
It has green PVC slime on it but not to heavy. I think acetone would remove it but Ihave never used acetone on a nickel... silver coins many times with no problems.

The reason I am concerned is that I once acetoned some Canadian Loon Dollars to remove haze and they looked great for about 6 months and then they changed to a funny color so I want to be sure not to damage the coin.

What do you guys and girls think?

GrandAm :)

Is it safe to use acetone on a Shield Nickel?

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Comments

  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,772 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think it is probably 'safe', but I had no luck with a nickle just like that one.....perhaps I am too impatient.
    PS "I" think it is safe but I am not a chemical wizard so hopefully the likes of @ricko will chime in :smile:

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  • davewesendavewesen Posts: 5,761 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It is safe, but it looks like there is some corrosion involved as well (which it will not help :( )

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Acetone will not harm your nickel, or any metal....It is an organic solvent. It will not remove tarnish... just residues. Cheers, RickO

  • GRANDAMGRANDAM Posts: 8,353 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ricko said:
    Acetone will not harm your nickel, or any metal....It is an organic solvent. It will not remove tarnish... just residues. Cheers, RickO

    Yes, that was always my understanding until the Loon Coin changed color on me and I did nothing else to it.

    Thanks, for the answers.

    GrandAm :)
  • BryceMBryceM Posts: 11,722 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If you don't do it, it's a disaster. If you use acetone, it's still a disaster, but a prettier one.

  • HemisphericalHemispherical Posts: 9,370 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Probably over-kill but I use ACS reagent grade acetone. Works great on eye glasses, too.

  • GRANDAMGRANDAM Posts: 8,353 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Anyone have a theory why the Canadian Loon Changed color on me?

    Not sure what the actual metal content is on that coin?

    GrandAm :)
  • MWallaceMWallace Posts: 3,832 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @GRANDAM said:
    Anyone have a theory why the Canadian Loon Changed color on me?

    Not sure what the actual metal content is on that coin?

    I am not very experienced in this department, but did you rinse it well with distilled water?

  • HemisphericalHemispherical Posts: 9,370 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Perhaps the acetone you used had other ingredients or was contaminated?

  • astroratastrorat Posts: 9,221 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Pure acetone is safe for metal coins. The 'acetone' you get at your local hardware store or hobby store in not pure. You will need to go to a pharmacy or chemical supply store ask for ACS Reagent Grade or HPLC Grade acetone. Either is ≥99.5 pure and will not harm metals. It's not cheap ...

    Numismatist Ordinaire
    See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
  • GRANDAMGRANDAM Posts: 8,353 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Those are good thoughts but I used fresh 100% pure acetone and rinsed it well,,, it stumps me?

    GrandAm :)
  • ColonialcoinColonialcoin Posts: 618 ✭✭✭✭

    I would leave it alone. It is not a valuable coin outside of the sentimental value.

  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 8,625 ✭✭✭✭✭

    You can bathe the coin in acetone. Acetone will remove plastic residue but will not stop corrosion. Peace Roy

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  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 33,430 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Acetone won’t hurt it, but it probably won’t help it much. The piece has a lot of corrosion. The brown under the green is corrosion, and some or all of the green may also be corrosion. Nickels are made mostly of copper with a much smaller amount of the nickel. The corrosion can be be green, brown or black.

    A no problem Shield Nickel will have the same color has the same color as a modern nickel in Mint State and the circulated grades. The modern piece is made with the same alloy as the early pieces.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • HemisphericalHemispherical Posts: 9,370 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @GRANDAM said:
    Anyone have a theory why the Canadian Loon Changed color on me?

    An idea. Perhaps the PVC residue was performing as a barrier and when it was removed...

  • GRANDAMGRANDAM Posts: 8,353 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Hemispherical said:

    @GRANDAM said:
    Anyone have a theory why the Canadian Loon Changed color on me?

    An idea. Perhaps the PVC residue was performing as a barrier and when it was removed...

    I don't know but it turned after 6 months or so,,,, much different than after the rinse. It originally looked like nornal color after the acetone and like other Loons look then it changed.

    GrandAm :)
  • PTVETTERPTVETTER Posts: 5,880 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I don’t think it will do much good but I think it con do any harm

    Pat Vetter,Mercury Dime registry set,1938 Proof set registry,Pat & BJ Coins:724-325-7211


  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 33,430 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @GRANDAM said:

    @Hemispherical said:

    @GRANDAM said:
    Anyone have a theory why the Canadian Loon Changed color on me?

    An idea. Perhaps the PVC residue was performing as a barrier and when it was removed...

    I don't know but it turned after 6 months or so,,,, much different than after the rinse. It originally looked like nornal color after the acetone and like other Loons look then it changed.

    The problem might have been that you exposed virgin metal after the acetone bath. I can’t give you an answer on this one; perhaps someone else can help.

    I know that copper people retone pieces that have been stripped, but folks around here call that “doctoring.” This is what I mean when some “doctoring” is necessary for preservation purposes. It can also restore some of the value when it is done well, at least among copper collectors. Pure copper is a reactive metal, and many pieces have had to receive some conservation methods.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hmmmm...It's probably OK on a shield nickel, but not on a Buffalo nickel. The Buffalo hide is tough but I expect the acetone would make its hair fall out, then the critter would have to get a wig, or rogane, or have those little golf grass plugs put in.... :)

  • cameonut2011cameonut2011 Posts: 10,060 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I know that copper people retone pieces that have been stripped, but folks around here call that “doctoring.” This is what I mean when some “doctoring” is necessary for preservation purposes. It can also restore some of the value when it is done well, at least among copper collectors. Pure copper is a reactive metal, and many pieces have had to receive some conservation methods.

    I think some coin doctors are unfairly maligned here given all that they do for the hobby. >:)o:):D

  • mr1931Smr1931S Posts: 5,956 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Bright dipping coins to remove unsightly tarnish and giving coin acetone bath is not doctoring. Rinsing and drying after dipping or acetone bath is very important and not to be skipped, however. Can't do it right don't do it or find someone who does know how to do it right, mr1874 says.

    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein

  • mr1931Smr1931S Posts: 5,956 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nickel coins would not be damaged by acetone bath. My brother and I used acetone successfully to remove PVC contamination on cents, nickels (which are mostly copper), and silver coins.

    Acetone does not attack metal.

    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein

  • Acetone is one of the easiest solvents to distil to a high purity. Much of the acetone you buy including at the hardware store is “pure” acetone according to the data sheets. However, getting acetone to a purity above 99.5% or so is next to impossible because it will absorb water - even from the air.

    My guess is, what turned your loony wasn’t the acetone - it was impurities in the acetone - particularly water (and impurities in the water). You mentioned it was soaking for 6 months - time enough for plenty of contaminants in that slurry.

    If the loonys are the same material as the brass bucks, that material is highly reactive imo. Ever try and dip a pres dollar? Doesn’t go so well.

    Another possibility is, I don’t believe that acetone reacts with metal but it could possibly react with the tarnish compounds embedded on the coin. And/or those compounds can react with air once they start drying after being dipped in acetone.

    But don’t use what happened to your loony as an example of what happens to most coins with acetone.

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