Shiney substance on coins in whitman folders - Help Please

tydye

A friend has sent me some old whitman coin folders to evaluate and potentially purchase. The problem is that there is a shiney clear substance that was applied on the obverse. I am right now trying to use acetone to remove it but am having marginal success. Does anyone know what the substance may be and how to remove it without harming the coin. Indians, Lincolns and Barbers are the coins that have it. Better dates include a would be 09-s lincoln in VF, 1895 barber dime in VF/XF. Any help/ideas on how to remove and how appraise them would be appreciated
Thanks
Mike

19Lyds

Personally I've never heard of this before and am amazed that someone would do this to coins in an album. On the other hand I have heard of people using vaseline on copper coins to clean them up.

Is there any oder associated with the substance on the coins at all? Is it oil based?

Heywood

I have some coins that had a layer of varnish/laquer (sp) applied to the at some point.

Soak in IPA or Acetone ( Well ventilated area)

poptopsRus

I've bought sets like this. Often it is clear finger nail polish. Soaked in asetone for some time and eventually it should come off.

tydye

Thanks for the replies. The acetone does eventually work however it takes multiple baths to get all the residue off. Whatever it was is pretty heavy applied and has been on for years. I wonder what the original intent was to do something like that was. Based upon the last years filled in the books it probably occured sometime in the late 60s. There is no odor to it as far as I can smell. Any ideas?