Need help with PVC removal

RJB

I was at a recent coin show in Columbus, Ohio where I bought a beautiful example of a 1970-S Kennedy DDO-002 DMR-3. Beautiful except that the coin had been sitting in a 2x2 PVC flip for probably a couple of years. The coin was coated with the PVC residue, especially on the obverse. I let the coin soak in acetone for a full day. This removed most of the PVC to show truly nice mirrors and a cameo portrait. My problem that I need help with is that the PVC scum is still clinging to the rim of the coin as well as the edges of the portrait and the letters. Letters such as the O, D and and R are filled with the crud. Does anyone know how I can remove it without hurting the coin? BOB

Dog97

Get it good & soft with acetone and use compressed air like you use to blow your keyboard out with. Or if you have a workshop with an air compressor, that works better but you need to rinse with acetone afterward because workshop compressors blow small amounts of oil out with the air.

TomB

If it's simply PVC contamination you are in luck because this is relatively easy to remove and is one of the few things that can be successfully done by someone who has never tried it. I will detail how to get rid of PVC with acetone and if you would like to give it a try yourself that is great. If you go to your local hardware store and ask for acetone you will have all the solvents you need. Simply put a little fresh acetone in a dish and submerge the coin in the acetone, use just enough acetone to comfortably cover the coin. Allow the coin to sit in the acetone for two or three minutes, you may want to swirl the dish to get a current, and then remove the coin and discard the acetone. If there are especially stubborn spots of PVC you can wet a Q-Tip with acetone and very lightly apply pressure to the coin with the Q-Tip and this should remove PVC spotting. After the acetone rinse you will want to take a fresh dish and place fresh acetone in it and submerge the coin in the fresh acetone for 30 seconds or so and maybe swirl the dish so there is a bit of a current and then remove the coin and it will air dry within a few seconds. Instead of air drying you may want to rinse the coin for 3-5 seconds in cold water before it dries from the acetone rinse and then give it one last squirt with fresh acetone and let air dry. So, to re-cap:

1) Place coin in shallow dish for a couple minutes with enough fresh acetone to cover it, swirl the dish

2) Discard the acetone and add more fresh acetone and allow to sit for a few seconds, swirl if desired

3) Rinse coin with cold water for a few seconds immediately after removing from acetone

4) Squirt coin with a little acetone after the cold water rinse and it will dry almost immediately

If you try this please remember the following; Acetone is extremely flammable and must be used with adequate ventilation and never used near a spark, flame or source of ignition. Sounds pretty scary but it is fairly harmless if used appropriately. Acetone evaporates very quickly in air and any acetone you want to get rid of you may either evaporate some outside or just add water to it as water and acetone mix at any ratio. Good luck.

StormChaser

Many thanks to TomB and Dog97. I have been wondering about this as well. But I have another question. What are the long term affects of using acetone? Any damage to the coin?

Dog97

Sometimes it turns copper blue but other than that, no.

TheBlackKnight

MS70 works great for removing PVC

TomB

Acetone will not damage the coin, however, if the coin is already damaged under the PVC then it will reveal that damage and make it easier to see. If you are writing about long term health risks associated with exposure to acetone there should be none as long as you don't ingest it, get it all over your skin or breathe it heavily. Extreme exposure will cause toxicity.

bgman

I was also at the Columbus Show and the ANACS grader said that I have two Standing Liberty Quarters with PVC also. I was going to ask the same question, but the answer was already posted. Thanks RJB for starting the thread, and TomB for the great explanation of how to use the acetone.

Randy

mbbiker

My mothers nail polish remover has acetone in it, would that work or should i go and buy some acetone for the cleaning of only one copper coin? The coin in question is below

Dog97

Nail polish remover has a lot of other junk in it. Don't use it.