Is this PVC contamination? *UPDATED*

JrGMan2004

On the Motto between PLURIBUS and UNUM on the ribbon, is that green spot PVC contamination?!?

nankraut

Sure looks like it to me. try acetone & see if it will come off.

JrGMan2004

<< <i>Sure looks like it to me. try acetone & see if it will come off. >>

Yeah, but I don't want to completely ruin the whole coin with a dip...

tmot99

Acetone won't be a problem for it. If it's PVC, it will take it off but not bother the rest of the coin.

robertpr

Acetone shouldn't affect the coin except for removing the PVC. It may also remove other organic contamanents. It looks like there may be weak PVC in other areas of the coin. You could actually soak the coin for an hour in the acetone and not hurt it one bit. When you're done just take the coin out and wave it around in the air for 20 seconds or so and the acetone will evaporate.

Get the stuff they sell in the hardware store that is pure acetone. Should find it in the paint section.

I use a canning jar, acetone in, coin in, lid on and screw the ring so it's airtight. Then let soak for a while. If you don't have a canning jar use something made of glass and cover it or leave it outside so you don't breathe in the acetone.

JrGMan2004

And so you're saying, I won't end up with a "white" coin if I dip it?

robertpr

<< <i>And so you're saying, I won't end up with a "white" coin if I dip it? >>



You will absolutely not wind up with a white coin.

LindeDad

Can I add a question on this acetone thing. Won't that effect the original toning of the coin? Have never cleaned a coin so I don't know about that stuff.

JrGMan2004

<< <i>

<< <i>And so you're saying, I won't end up with a "white" coin if I dip it? >>



You will absolutely not wind up with a white coin. >>

You absolutely sure? Coin comes out white, and it compeltely kills it's value

Catch22

Clearly, the coin has a spot of environmental damage that is miniscule. However, I don't think that is due to a PVC flip. PVC damage from plastic flips is usually more significant than that.

robertpr

<< <i> You absolutely sure? Coin comes out white, and it compeltely kills it's value >>



Yes. If you don't believe me go to your local dealer and pick up a $5 or $10 POS (every dealer has 'em) and experiment with that first. I'm sure it will not go white, though.

JrGMan2004

Ok, I'm gonna go out tomorrow and get me some acetone Gonna just do a Q-tip rub on it though...

K6AZ

Make sure you get good grade acetone, the stuff that comes in pint, quart, and half gallon tins at hardware stores works.

JrGMan2004

<< <i>Make sure you get good grade acetone, the stuff that comes in pint, quart, and half gallon tins at hardware stores works. >>

Thx Eric

Vet

What everyone else said. Acetone won't hurt the coin but will remove the PVC.

nwcs

Acetone is an organic solvent and not an acidic solution. It does nothing to the surface of a coin except clean it. As Eric said, use good quality acetone -- 100% pure.

robertpr

<< <i>Ok, I'm gonna go out tomorrow and get me some acetone Gonna just do a Q-tip rub on it though... >>



I would do the whole coin as where there is one spot of PVC there is usually a light film elsewhere that could "develop" later.

Also, because acetone evaporates so quickly, you may find that the q-tip is dry by the time you get it out of the bottle and to the coin.

Finally, I have found acetone sometimes takes time to work depending on how tough the spot is.

JrGMan2004

It really looks like it's too thick to be PVC... and not everyone here as agreed that it was PVC... and like one person said, most of the time, PVC has a much broader effect than one small spot...

Nickelback

Okay, I took chemistry a million years ago but it it seems that when you take a potentially valuable coin and dip it, acetone cleans the coin, maybe without harm (to the coin), but only if you're carefull with your digits... is there a reference on this forum for cleaning or identified in a book or something? Jeeze, this whole thing of cleaning is difficult for a Newbie...

JrGMan2004

Ok, certain types of cleaning, are perfectly fine, and are preventative in nature, such as Acetone. The bad kind of cleaning, is like, taking a brillo pad and scrubbing it up, or using a silver polish on it... anything that's abrasive, really... but Acetone is often used to remove organic materials from coins, such as PVC contamination. Most of the time, dips (Slang for "dipping" the coin in one of these solutions, such as Acetone, Jewelluster, etc.) are preventative in nature, but can also greatly improve the look of a coin. An MS62 Morgan with fugly toning, and crappy eye appeal, might upgrade to a MS63 after a dip to remove the ugly toning... though, it most be done correctly, or it's obvious, and if you over dip a coin, you're left with a dull and lifeless coin. It's also commong to did proof coins to remove haze from the fields...

stman

George if you can return it that's what I believe you should do. Why "fool" with the thing? It probably won't look the same if you do.

ajia

George,

Not sure if I'm reading your last reply right or not, but I would try to keep it as simple as possible.
A 'dip' is an acid or caustic solution....BAD
A 'dip' in a solution that reacts to plastic or PVC & NOT metal....OK

That's my take on dipping.

ldhair

Acetone is not an acid. A dip such as Jewel Luster is.
I guess it's a time warp thing but when did acetone become a dip?

As far as the coin in question-- soak it in acetone--PVC and any other organic matter will be go.

Myqqy

I agree with ldhair- soak it for awhile and let us know if it helped any!

TommyB

It may have been mentioned, but just in case. Acetone is extremely flammable. BE CAREFUL.

JrGMan2004

Bought some Acetone this morning, and rubbed the spot with a Q-Tip soaked in Acetone... no effect... so, it's corrosion, not PVC...

nwcs

That was the other possibility. I was hoping it was just PVC.

JrGMan2004

Oh well, it's not a major distraction...