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Glue/Tape Removal from Early American Copper
ilmcoins
Posts: 525 ✭✭✭✭
I have a set of large cents from the mid 1800s that I acquired. Unfortunately, every one has at least one piece of Scotch type tape keeping it in place in a Whitman.
None of the cents are of particularly high value. However I do plan on removing them, removing the residue left after I take off the tape, and then putting them in another book.
My plan was to use 100% acetone. I have a collecting buddy that recommended Goo Gone and then a one min acetone bath.
Any ideas from the EAC collectors here?
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I’d go the acetone route and see if that works first, before progressing with anything else.
I’d also not be surprised to see that the copper that was beneath the tape is different/lighter than the copper adjacent to it. Ie, they may appear to have “tape toning “, even after the residues are gone.
@Walkerguy21D: Great advice. @ilmcoins: Any chance of some Before and After pictures?
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Sure I will document. Might not get around to doing this work until this weekend. I believe there are 32 coins that are in the set. It is the 1826-1857 Large Cent set
That rings a bell.
Welcome to the club,.... you and me! 
Did it look something like this?
in my experience, most things that will be removed by acetone, will come off pretty quickly or at least indicate they will. so a soak, may not have to happen. a qtip with a lil acetone on the area can say a lot if you aren't used to doing this. if you suspect surface contaminants on most or all of the coin, then soak that puppy in timed intervals.
make sure to VENTILATE and to seal anything with acetone up very well like your life depended on it because if you don't, you'll come back to an empty container. done a couple times myself. cracks me up but it is dangerous in small unventilated spaces.
I would soak in boiling distilled water first to get the glue to loosen ,then use Acetone if necessary. 90 % of the time the boiling water removed the glue. The only issue is has the glue stained the coin, or has it protected the surface that has not toned to the color of the uneffected area.
I had a few morgans i used this methord and they turned out fine. For some reason and Ive seen this so many times....the dark tan glue that years ago be next to the Elmers in most stores ,and people would use it to glue the coins to cardboard or what ever.
I just sold a bag of G to Vg Liberty nickels all of them had that glue on them.
The reason I say use distilled water 1st is Acetone has been known to make copper coins change color. To be honest it never happened to me, but have had friends that it did. 100% pure
"That's why I wander and follow La Vie Dansante"
Experiment on some of the least valuable coins and see what works.
I read that heating the coins with a hair dryer will soften the tape making it easy to remove. The residual glue can then be more easily removed with acetone or goo-gone.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
The reason I say use distilled water 1st is Acetone has been known to make copper coins change color.
That's why I'd try mineral spirits first, then xylene or toluene second. Acetone as a 3rd or 4th choice. All are flammable so handle as you would gasoline.
I knew it would happen.
This is the way... try acetone before anything else.
Early American Copper, Bust and Seated.
The acetone did not make the copper change color. The elimination of the surface organics allowed the copper to be exposed. Acetone only removes organics. Cheers, RickO
That's good information, but color change, or stains can make a $300 coin into a problem child with unsightly details and devalued .
Tape & glue of the late 30's into the late 60's were not good choices,but the only choice.
"That's why I wander and follow La Vie Dansante"
Here's a link to a discussion I started when removing tape residue from EAC. I was pleased with the outcome.
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1001352/need-advice-on-removing-tape-residue-from-large-cents/p1
Joe
Successful BST transactions with lordmarcovan, Moldnut, erwindoc
So to summarize, it sounded like going straight to acetone generally worked, but the toughest cases required boiling in water first, then using a toothpick, then treated with acetone....if I followed it all correctly....
What became of the 1825 that NGC conserved and slabbed?
Wow, amazing thread!
Ouch!! Those large cents hurt me!!
It came back AU 55 BN N-10
Successful BST transactions with lordmarcovan, Moldnut, erwindoc
Before photos
After photos. Not too bad. There were a lot of green and brown acetone covered qtips at the end.
Right, I saw that..... I was inquiring if you still had it, sent it to auction, etc.
OP, looks pretty good!
@ilmcoins
They came out really good. Nice job.
Successful BST transactions with lordmarcovan, Moldnut, erwindoc
Still have it.
Successful BST transactions with lordmarcovan, Moldnut, erwindoc