How do you remove olive oil from coins.

cladking

I expected acetone to work extremely well but it doesn't. Even a mixture of
acetone, isopropyl, and water is ineffective. Detergents work poorly and I doubt
it's good for proof surfaces.

I was hoping someone with experience could provide an easy method. I've never
used olive oil on uncirculated coins before so was unconcerned about getting it all
off.

customroll

Why would you want to put olive oil on a coin in the first place?

TexasNationals

I use pure actetone and never had a problem with it comming off large cents or colonials. You put it on to remove the green verdigris from the fields.

D

<< <i>Why would you want to put olive oil on a coin in the first place? >>



I believe it's used to remove/neutralize PVC/Verdigris.

-D

customroll

I kind of guessed he wanted to remove or neutralize PVC/Verdigris, but couldn't figure out why olive oil.

cladking

<< <i>Why would you want to put olive oil on a coin in the first place? >>



It's heartbreaking and hard to admit but I lost my 1969 Denver mint sets a few years back.

I thought these were well stored but all the clad coins went "bad". These were the twenty
nicest sets I'd seen for this date and every coin was a nice gem or better. Some of them are
spectacular PL's and well struck by brand new dies. They got a horrible mottled appearance.

I've been experimenting with removing the tarnish and plasticiser and am having some success
except with this final step of removing the olive oil. I fear any residue of the oil will quickly harm
these delicate surfaces if allowed to remain. All the means I've used on the experimental batch
seem to be too abrasive for the PL's so something else is needed.

cladking

<< <i>

<< <i>Why would you want to put olive oil on a coin in the first place? >>



I believe it's used to remove/neutralize PVC/Verdigris.

>>




Yes. It seems to work for this purpose. The PVC can be lifted out and dissolved by
acetone but the last little bit is much more difficult to dislodge. There's white haze
left behind that's often mottled like the original tarnish.

cladking

<< <i>I use pure actetone and never had a problem with it comming off large cents or colonials. You put it on to remove the green verdigris from the fields. >>




Even after soaking in acetone for days they still feel slippery.

customroll

Would liquid Dawn damage the coin?
I know it will dissolve the olive oil.

MsMorrisine

I'm curious about Olive Oil usage...


Isn't Olive Oil slightly acidic? Or am I just plain wrong?

cladking

<< <i>Would liquid Dawn damage the coin?
I know it will dissolve the olive oil. >>




I'm getting the best effect with detergents but they seem inadequate. Rubbing the
coins can't be good either.

customroll

<< <i>I'm curious about Olive Oil usage...

Isn't Olive Oil slightly acidic? Or am I just plain wrong? >>


Yes it is acidic.

delistamps

Call Popeye. He knows!

p.s. I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today...

ambro51

sandblast it?

MsMorrisine

most or nearly all of what is in olive oil is organic. acetone and alcohol are organic solvents.

I guess the difficulty is coming from the viscosity of the oil. perhaps allowing the oil to warm with body contact (fingers) prior to rinse may help remove it.

Teva

You may want to try denatured alcohol.
It a good subtitution when acetone does not work sometimes.
There is a lot of different kinds of olive oil and you really don't want to stick coins in olive oil. Cold pressed virgin olive oil can have a high water content and also be chuck full of citric acid.
Not the kind of thing you want to soak coins in.
I am no conservator so thats just my opinion.

lcoopie

a guess

soap and water

renomedphys

Acetone works wonders. Make sure to use the pure stuff.

Also, olive oil serves to soften up crud and verdigris. If it hasn't worked its way into the surface yet, the unwanted material can often then be teased off without touching the metal. An acetone bath afterwards will serve well to remove all traces, but you must be careful not to wipe, only flush.

TwoSides2aCoin

Try flour. White bleached should work, but for a healthier coin, maybe roll it in wheat flour. Once breaded, either toast it, or brush it off with a camel hair brush.

Disclaimer :
Do not try this at home. A professional baker should be consulted.

ambro51

NCS

JRocco

Hey Sam
I have always used pure acetone to remove oil from a coin.
I do this often and did it last night on some old Russian coppers I
had soaking in oil.
You do go through a lot of acetone, but it should work. Just pour the acetone on the coin from a distance
of about 6 inches above the surface and let it splash a bit. It might take a couple of times on both the obverse and reverse, but
it should work.

Broadstruck

<< <i>Try flour. White bleached should work, but for a healthier coin, maybe roll it in wheat flour. Once breaded, either toast it, or brush it off with a camel hair brush.

Disclaimer :
Do not try this at home. A professional baker should be consulted. >>

tmot99

I would suggest trying Blue Ribbon followed by acetone. Both are organics that may help break down the oil. Blue Ribbon has an oil base so I am thinking that may mix with the olive oil and help it break down. I would have thought that acetone would have done it alone so this would be my next try.

StubbyMcNumbthumbs

I would try holding the coin(s) under very hot running tap water. The heat should help release the olive oil. A quick acetone bath and rinse in distilled water, and gently tamp dry with soft cloth. Repeat if necessary.

JRocco

<< <i>I would try holding the coin(s) under very hot running tap water. The heat should help release the olive oil. A quick acetone bath and rinse in distilled water, and gently tamp dry with soft cloth. Repeat if necessary. >>



I remember many many years ago an old time collector told me he used to put
his Morgans in boiling water for a few minutes to get them ready for a dip.
He had a nice Morgan collection by the way.

PerryHall

I find it hard to believe that acetone will remove PVC contamination but won't remove olive oil. Is it possible that this acetone is old and lost some of its strength or is that something that just doesn't happen.

Barry

Carbon tetrachloride is a great organic solvent, but it's nasty stuff and needs to be used with great care.

TexasNationals

I have used nitromethane followed by acetone on tough PVC/Verdigris

oreville

The best way to remove olive oil (which is NOT the preferred oil to use - mineral oil is better) is to squeeze the coin inside a soft tissue. Repeat squeezing the coin (between your forefinger and thumb) onto dry soft tissue. Do NOT rub.

Then you can use acetone if there is any oily residue. The acetone then works well as there is just a small amount of oily residue left.

JRocco

Great point oreville.

BAJJERFAN

<< <i>most or nearly all of what is in olive oil is organic. acetone and alcohol are organic solvents.

I guess the difficulty is coming from the viscosity of the oil. perhaps allowing the oil to warm with body contact (fingers) prior to rinse may help remove it. >>



Acetone and alcohol are polar organic solvents. I'd try something nonpolar like petroleum distillates, charcoal starter, etc.

notwilight

<< <i>I would try holding the coin(s) under very hot running tap water. The heat should help release the olive oil. A quick acetone bath and rinse in distilled water, and gently tamp dry with soft cloth. Repeat if necessary. >>



I would used hot water and dish soap scrubbed gently with the balls of my clean fingers. If that doesn't do it, the it isn't olive oil you're trying to get off but the remains of the plastic. Acetone should take that off if you soak it for a few weeks. --Jerry

MrSpud

Isoparaffin might work. It is basically low molecular weight volatile mineral oil. In other words it is a type of mineral oil that evaporates quickly. Oil shoild dissolve in oil I would think. After a soak and a rinse in isoparaffin you can just let it evaporate off the coin. You can also try it next time as an oil soak in a closed container instead of olive oil. I believe you can get isoparaffin in arts and crafts stores as odorless paint thinner.

BAJJERFAN

<< <i>I find it hard to believe that acetone will remove PVC contamination but won't remove olive oil. Is it possible that this acetone is old and lost some of its strength or is that something that just doesn't happen. >>



Acetone does not lose strength as it gets old. The basic rule is that like dissolves like. Polar solvents dissolve polar substances and nonpolar solvents dissolve nonpolar substances. There are many exceptions as you might imagine.

MsMorrisine

<< <i>

<< <i>I find it hard to believe that acetone will remove PVC contamination but won't remove olive oil. Is it possible that this acetone is old and lost some of its strength or is that something that just doesn't happen. >>



Acetone does not lose strength as it gets old. The basic rule is that like dissolves like. Polar solvents dissolve polar substances and nonpolar solvents dissolve nonpolar substances. There are many exceptions as you might imagine. >>




whatever he said and what oreville said!


as for exceptions.... I've always thought the chemistry "rules" were just "false advertising" and the exceptions were the rules.

habaraca

OLIVE OIL food

first it was Coin Doctors

now it is

Coin Chefs