Spotting PVC Damage

GuzziSport

The recent thread regarding historical CAC sticker rates has me interested in learning to spot PVC damage, as it’s not something I’ve been especially concerned about in the past.
I did perform a cursory search of the forum on the topic, and did find threads with pics but they were old threads and pics were old or no longer displaying.
Also, curious why it is that old holdered coins are more likely to have PVC damage?
Pics of afflicted coins and helpful hints about spotting and avoiding PVC would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance.

clarkbar04

You can remove PVC, but if the PVC has etched into the surface it will give a mottled look to the coin when viewed at an angle because the PVC has not etched the surface evenly, so you may have pristine surfaces that were not impacted (or as much) next to spots of bad residue which ate away at the original surfaces. Viewed straight on in good light this may be less obvious but the coin will usually not exhibit full luster. I might have an example of this on a walker but it would take some digging.

Older coins likely went from PVC flips into PCGS holders before it was known that PVC would damage coins. This usually shows as a milky residue.
Take this coin for instance. You can tell this is an original looking UNC but you can see a milky haze AND upon closer inspection.. green blobs. The PVC can be removed but you never know what is going to be under those spots. Usually its nothing, but it can either be lightly etched to slightly pebbled look. I have successfully removed the green blobs and the coins straight graded and even later received CAC approval, so PVC isn't always a death sentence.

The only coin I've ever seen where the PVC had visibly eaten into the surface was on a 40% Kennedy half.

(right click and "open in new tab" for a closer look)

GuzziSport

That’s super helpful @clarkbar04 thank you.
Green spots aside, that haze looks like it may be confused with “original” cellophane haze on say, a nice proof Walker.
Are well circulated coins similarly identified?

clarkbar04

We know what types of coins came in those cellophane holders so anything else should be viewed as PVC storage issues. I'm simply less familiar with that type of storage residue as its not on the types of stuff I've ever collected.

Circulated coins with PVC would show similar green blobs and maybe an artificial glossy/greasy look.
At the end of the day a good acetone bath does no harm to a coins surfaces. I use a canning jar with a screw on lid. The percentage of still gradable coins that were properly stored over the years is a pretty small number, I'd be willing to bet. I do some type of restoration to almost every coin I get.

OAKSTAR

@GuzziSport said:

Also, curious why it is that old holdered coins are more likely to have PVC damage?

I think if a coin was contaminated, that you or the grader couldn't see or detect at the time of holdering, it would grow or propagate on the coin over time. Just like an invisible/undetected fingerprint on a coin that was slabbed years ago, will miraculously appear today.

DisneyFan

PVC is extremely difficult to discern from pictures. Often PVC cannot be seen under ordinary light conditions.

For example, this toned PCGS MS64 Missouri 2X4, bought from a top line dealer, was founded to have PVC. It was professional conserved and ended up in an AU Details holder. The picture is of the coin before conservation.

Cougar1978

In looking at the coin above (a huge investment loss going from 64 to AU details) believe I would have been fooled it had pvc. For this reason I stay away from big ticket material (above my risk limit of $300) unless of course bullion related (and my investment not far from BV). Additionally in that area I prefer MWG (modern world gold).

Remember the grade on any slab is a point in time - beyond that tarnish, pvc, etc from exposure to the atmosphere, heat, humidity,salt air, could have accumulated (coin preservation handbook).

Beware of tarnished, spotted coins, frankly I just don’t like them.

DisneyFan

@Cougar1978 said:
In looking at the coin above (a huge investment loss going from 64 to AU details) believe I would have been fooled it had pvc. For this reason I stay away from big ticket material (above my risk limit of $300) unless of course bullion related (and my investment not far from BV). Additionally in that area I prefer MWG (modern world gold).

That's a sobering thought!

Mr_Spud

I picked up this set of three pence coins for a good price recently off of eBay. The coins had PVC on them, I believe it’s from the blue plastic holder they were housed in. All the coins had PVC on them, some had progressed far enough to show the green but many just looked hazy. I soaked them all in acetone and it’s gone now, had to do multiple rinses to get it off. But these images from the auction are a good example showing the range of appearance that coins end up with as the PVC progresses from just being hazy to turning green

GuzziSport

This has been helpful, thanks guys

seatedlib3991

@clarkbar04 . Thanks. That is excellent information. Do you have any insight as to what Disneyfan had to say about using pictures? Are there any tells you might know to look for? Thanks for any feedback. James

DisneyFan

@seatedlib3991 asked
@clarkbar04 . Do you have any insight as to what Disneyfan had to say about using pictures? Are there any tells you might know to look for?
@Mr_Spud said:
All the coins had PVC on them, some had progressed far enough to show the green but many just looked hazy. I soaked them all in acetone and it’s gone now, had to do multiple rinses to get it off. But these images from the auction are a good example showing the range of appearance that coins end up with as the PVC progresses from just being hazy to turning green

As you could see from his pictures of circulated coins, some of those coins looked perfectly fine.

lilolme

I did a thread on a 'package' of PVC coins. It is also listed in the Resources thread pinned at the top of the US forum. Tried to take some pictures of them at different angles to show the stuff.

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1077719/please-allow-me-to-introduce-myself-i-am-pvc-update-completed#latest

This thread below has some more but I would not recommend doing the big group of acetone coins. But these were mainly bullion or lower coins that had sat in pvc flips or album pages for years. A couple more pictures of them in the album but not much else.

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1084743/acetone-light-green#latest

TheGoonies1985

For me it is simple I break out my coins and use acetone on every single one of them. The worry ends there. I keep very few in holders but when I do I check on the m every 12 months.

Put them in 2 by 2 Mylar's and mind is at peace.