Acetone?
ray98362
Posts: 7
Hi, I'm brand new to coin collecting. I've been reading alot on here about using acetone to clean coins. Is it a good idea to do this as a normal routine, before putting the coin into a mylar 2x2 or airtite or whatever? Also, would you just let the acetone air dry or a water rinse?
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Comments
Best to rinse the coins off with water after acetone bath. I usually use an old t-shirt to blot the water off. An old t-shirt was about the softest material I could find.
You wouldn't believe how long it took to get him to sit still for this.
Acetone is effective at getting sticky foreign material off of coins like grease, glue, resin, adhesive, tape and other similar substances. It works on any coin. A rinse in distilled water may be warranted, but I've found a bath in a secondary fresh acetone basin works very well. Remove the crud in one acetone bath and rinse the residue in another fresh dip. Replace both solutions after several dips to reduce cross-over residue and for a cleaner acetone bath.
If you must rinse with water choose distilled water. The biggest concern is that you dip too many coins and subsequent coins will develop a residue. If you also rinse the coins after the initial acetone bath there is a risk of carry over of the residue if you don't refresh the acetone in the basin.
BTW acetone is harmless to the surface of the coin. So it is a good start to effective coin conservation.
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BONGO HURTLES ALONG THE RAIN SODDEN HIGHWAY OF LIFE ON UNDERINFLATED BALD RETREAD TIRES
Do please remember, Acetone can be dangerous, use in a well ventilated area, wear thick dish washing gloves to avoid skin contact. Do not soak your coins or dip them in plastic, Acetone will melt it, use glass.
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
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BONGO HURTLES ALONG THE RAIN SODDEN HIGHWAY OF LIFE ON UNDERINFLATED BALD RETREAD TIRES
Dipping coins in anything as a normal routine is fraught with danger.
Acetone is a solvent. Take a big whiff and you will be convinced that taking big whiffs of acetone is a very bad thing! Acetone can be useful in removing residue from scotch tape or maybe PVC. If it is successful it is usually obvious that something was removed. That is why it isn't recommended unless the coin is already acknowledged as being permanently messed up. Water is not normally pure. Distilled water is the purest available and usually has very little in it other than water. If you rinse a coin with most water you will have water spots when it dries. I would imagine rinsing in acetone would remove the water rather than the other way around. Anyway I would not recommend dipping your coins in anything. If you are reading a lot about acetone here you must have been lurking for a long time reading lots of other things too!
Hoard the keys.
With regards to acetones impact on coins, keep in mind that acetone is a solvent as Carl indicates. Use this stuff only in a highly ventilated area. While acetone is absolutely harmless to your coins, it can be damaging to your health if not a fatal threat when inhaled in concentration.
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BONGO HURTLES ALONG THE RAIN SODDEN HIGHWAY OF LIFE ON UNDERINFLATED BALD RETREAD TIRES
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
<< <i>..... I am aware of the risks and dangers acetone involves, I've worked with it in industrial settings before. >>
Then you are already decades ahead of some of the 'geeks' here......
using acetone on copper
as you may not know,
the search button
will allow you to look through
all the acetone postings,
and there are a lot of them
edited to add,
Welcome to the board
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
the secondary acetone rinse is a great idea
i'll shoot the coin with air sometimes to evaporate the acetone quicker although it should air-dry with no residue if rinsed twice in a secondary clean acetone bath
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<< <i>Welcome!
Do please remember, Acetone can be dangerous, use in a well ventilated area, wear thick dish washing gloves to avoid skin contact. Do not soak your coins or dip them in plastic, Acetone will melt it, use glass. >>
I use the plastic lids from yogurt containers. They are shallow enough that they don't have to hold much acetone. They are deep enough that the coin can be submerged completely. None have melted in 5 or so years of use. BUT, dish washing gloves WILL melt. I would not worry about skin contact, all it does is strip the oils from your skin. No lasting problems for me. Maybe I'll die a few years earlier. Big whoop!
Jonathan