Cleaning with acetone - Silver Proof IKEs

cheetah2112

I got 3 1776-1976 Silver Proof IKE dollars. I purchased and received them in coin flips. With how great they looked, I wanted to take them out and put them in coin slabs to help protect them more. I handled on edges and after I took them out they started looking not as good with smudges on them.

I heard a lot that 100% acetone is safe to drop these in and remove smudges. After dropping them in a glass with a little acetone I could not believe how they looked when soaking. No smudges at all and they looked like coins straight from the mint...while in the acetone, best looking coins I've ever seen.

Left in for some hours. I took them out trying only handle by the edges but after drying, the smudges came back but not as back as before. Did this a few times and did the same thing and smudges only got minimally better.

So am I doing something wrong.

Thanks in advance!

TomB

In general, you needn't leave a coin in acetone for more than 30-seconds or so if you just want to remove some haze. Also, acetone is not a miracle solvent, it will remove some surface contaminants and reduce some fingerprints, but won't take everything off. Regarding the coins looking better in acetone, well, that is just the physics of light reflection and refraction when looking at something in a liquid.

pruebas

I have had good luck removing haze on modern silver proof coins (not Ikes) using MS70. But you must be very careful.

2windy2fish

I agree with @pruebas MS70 will likely remove the haze.
However i would practice a time or 2 on coins that are low value or unimportant to you

PerryHall

I wonder if the smudge was from someone's fingers touching it during the packaging process and the contamination has etched into the coin's surfaces. Acetone will remove surface contamination but if the surfaces have been etched, the acetone can't remove that surface damage.