Coin Cleaner Part 2
mach19
Posts: 4,086 ✭✭✭
I went online to find a coin cleaner and found a couple of options..... Has anyone had success with E-Z-est coin cleaner or MS-70 coin cleaner ?
TIN SOLDIERS & NIXON COMING 
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You can't put the genie back in the bottle, and that goes double for these. Some highly experienced conservation people know how to use these chemicals. The EZ-est has diluted sulfuric acid and thiourea. Some people use it diluted on Unc. coins, with circ. coins the effect is less desirable. The old MS70 was better than the current one. One dealer likened it to an "abortion", typically harsh language with some, apologies for possibly offending people. I used MS70 once on some Unc. gold coins, big mistake. There are non-acidic dips that are good enough. If a coin has stuff on the surface, sometimes acetone is effective.
I'm not offended my friend...... Thank you for your insight !
E-Z-est is acid and removes metal so proceed with caution.
MS-70 is non-acidic and removes dirt and bodily secretions from metal and is safe on gold, silver and most copper (a/k/a it doesn't cause a direct change to gold or silver and won't cause problems with graders if you thoroughly rinse it off with acetone). It is best for uncirculated coins with good color and/or luster that have excessive residue on them.
I'm curious. Since MS-70 doesn't react with or directly change gold, how was your use of it on a gold coin a big mistake?
Only thing I can think of is you had a coin with sub-optimal surfaces that were unfortunately easier to see after MS-70.
MS70 is a very strong base, whereas EZ-est is a weak acid. Both can damage coins, but the acid is probably more dangerous to metal. Both need good running water rinses after using.
Definitely practice on cheap coins first. And only use on uncirculated or proof coins.
People already gave you good advice, but one more detail. If you strip the skin off of a coin, afterwards they are very susceptible to humidity and corrosive agents. The skin on a coin that forms after it is struck is a thin layer that forms on the surface of the metal as it slowly reacts with the atmosphere. The skin protects the metal underneath and once it’s removed the bare metal is much more reactive. It’s real easy for the coin to go bad after a cleaning if exposed to humidity or acids and pollutants.
Mr_Spud
Lots of good advice Here..... I truly APPRECIATE it !!
what is in nic-a-date?
From JPSCorner.com, "Nic-A-Date is formulated to temporarily restore the date on worn Buffalo Nickels, allows date to be read and leaves an etched mark on the coin."
I wouldn't use that on any coin you care about.
Over 25 years ago, I had a bunch of Unc. coins in PCGS holders, had read Scott Travers' book about upgrading coins. One of the coins was an 1880 $20 in P-60, another an 1892 $20 in P-60. The MS70 stripped away the surface substance and toning imparting a salmon color and they all came back AU58.
Thansk for the information. I don't have any real plans to clean coins but all this time I did not know about the acidic element of these products. James
Yes, MS-70 removes dirt and bodily secretions without reacting with or directly changing gold or silver so if you want residue on your coins you should not use it.
However, MS-70 never removes toning on gold or silver because it is not acidic (toning being defined as environmental changes to the surface of the coin). Outside of copper spots, gold coins do not tone and MS-70 does not affect copper spots.
You are mistaken for blaming MS-70 for the salmon color of your coins. There is no possible scenario where MS-70 will change the color of gold since it does not react with or directly change gold.
Feel free to confirm all this with anyone you know who has a basic working knowledge of chemistry.
don't use either if the coin is a lower grade than mid/upper almost uncirculated
I think the discussion should be what type of cleaning method works best with what type of crud/spot/tarnish on what type of metal. Obviously you would only want to experiment on coins that you dont want to sell. In otherwords, you will get royally flamed by collectors. Some dealers, who I respect, have actually dipped coins, sent them in and got regular (not details) grades from PGCS and NGC. My local dealer, who shall not be named, had a book that was titled "secrets of a coin dealer" -or something like that. I found him to be interesting, because if he liked you he'd tell you --- all coins were cleaned at one time or another. He used EZ-est once in a while and lots of MS70. Of course he was dipping junk coins, not rarities, and selling them for a slim premium above the melt value. Said he was saving them from the junkyard. LOL. I miss that guy. He passed away about 5 years ago, or so I heard.
Rooksmith,
You make great points when you talk about practicing on low-end coins and having different methods for different issues.
Just wanted to clarify that MS-70 conserves gold/silver coins and does not clean them. Cleaned, of course, means damaged in a detectable manner.
Since MS-70 is non-acidic and does not react with or change gold/silver, it does not cause any damage to them much less detectable damage (but you must rinse it off with acetone). TPGs often use MS-70 or something similar on coins they conserve then straight grade. MS-70 is not the strongest chemical TPGs use by far.
Being a strong acid, E-Z-est removes the outer layer of metal/toning from coins. If the newly exposed surfaces are acceptable to the TPGs, they put a number on them. If they are not acceptable, they are details.
Dipping in acid is controversial. I have never used acid on a coin. If I don't like the toning on a silver coin, I don't buy it.
Be careful playing with these chemicals. It’s not worth it especially if you ruin a valuable coin. There was a magnificent 1893-S dollar that was graded MS-67 and was attractively toned. Someone tried to conserve for whatever reason but ended up ruining it and the integrity of the coin.
The older MS70 apparently used chemicals that are now banned, something like freon that has different properties and was more effective.
AI Overview
The original formulation of MS-70 coin cleaner used 1,1,1-trichloroethane as its primary ingredient, a solvent that was sometimes informally referred to as "freon" (though true Freon is a chlorofluorocarbon, or CFC). This chemical is an ozone-depleting substance and has been phased out due to environmental regulations.
MS-70 Formulation Change
The original formula containing 1,1,1-trichloroethane is no longer available. The current MS-70 product available from retailers is an updated, environmentally compliant formula.
Current MS-70 Ingredients and Properties
The modern MS-70 is a blend of industrial detergents and surfactants that are designed to remove surface contamination without disturbing the metal surface.
It is acid-free and does not contain the harsh solvents of the past.
It is considered safe for use on gold, silver, nickel, copper, brass, and bronze coins.
The manufacturer and numismatic experts advise that it helps remove tarnish, fog, oil, dirt, and PVC contamination, allowing the coin's natural surface to show through
I like MS70 on mint state silver coins with grime on them, heck it even works well on ones that are not grimy, but be sure to rinse it off. Has good results on copper-nickel moderns as well as nickel. I have never had much luck with dipping coins. The key is figuring out what coins can be conserved properly. Acetone works great for organic material on coins as well as PVC.
Highly suggest trying it on cheap coins before you play with something expensive. Try it on some stuff you get out of circulation and see what happens! Would not recommend MS70 on copper. It often turns a purplish-blue color.
Ferric Chloride (an acid), apparently.
https://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?topic_id=272838