Test to see what cleans White Ashy areas on ASEs

tneig

I used 'junk' bullion ASEs for the test as they were already junk. Used White's Silver Polish rub. Yikes, Its very aggressive. Tried acetone and coin dip in the past - the acetone didn't remove the ashy spots and the coin dip just kills luster and still see the spots. I did overdo it with the rub. I'll test another with less polish/little rubbing.

So, Maybe not a good result to remove the white spots which are showing up.
A little less beat up looking for junk level. Best to live with spots on better ASE's.

GRANDAM

Use a silver polishing cloth. If you go easy on the coin you can remove the spots and not scuff it up too bad.

MsMorrisine

tarnx did not work?

tneig

I didn't try tarnx. But I did rub too hard with a rough cloth. The guy was still happy to buy them at reduced cost.
The only other ones I have any problem with are encapsulated.

thanks

ricko

If the spots you are trying to remove are what is known as 'milk spots'... there is no known effective method to remove them without destroying the surface for collectors - though still good as bullion. Cheers, RickO

Bochiman

Ricko, that was what I thought initially as well....but I don't think he is talking about actual milk spots (OP....correct me if I am wrong).

Looking at the photo, it looks more like areas where the finish is "missing" (ie....contact with another coin making the spot shinier than the rest). I've seen that in a number of SAEs...usually very minor, minute, "shiny" spots.
To me, milk spots aren't shiny and, even if small, they are not like a little penprick spot, which some of these appear to be.

ricko

@Bochiman ....I agree... I could not see any milk spots on the OP's pictures... but with coin photography what it can be, was not sure... certainly not like the usual spots in fields... more like some kind of abrasion as you suggested. Cheers, RickO

tneig

I did mean Milk Spots. Pardon the confusion. I do have some showing up with this. A few naked and a few encapsulated. I was just trying different cleanup methods on my Junk ASE's, of which I thought some of the areas were milk spots as well as all the tarnish and damage. Didn't want to touch the better ones, and will likely not touch anymore now. I sold off those 10 I experimented on for $16 each so the buyer knew he was just getting bullion and still an ok deal.

Bochiman

No one has, still, come up with a way to remove actual milk spots once they have developed...to my knowledge.
HRH had put out a high offer (I think it was $50,000 but someone may know better if that isn't it), years ago, to anyone that could come up with a legitimate way to remove milk spots.

It was never claimed.