Did I ruin my coins? Photos present
DeutscherGeist
Posts: 2,990 ✭✭✭✭
I kept some of the very first coins that I collected inside a little album that I got over 2 decades ago. The album is still in great condition with the plastic as it was from day one.
As you can see, this album has pages in which an insert of multiple compartments slides into. Seems like a nice system for smaller coins, but now look. The Gold is probably just fine, its the silver I am questioning.
As you can see, this album has pages in which an insert of multiple compartments slides into. Seems like a nice system for smaller coins, but now look. The Gold is probably just fine, its the silver I am questioning.
"So many of our DREAMS at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we SUMMON THE WILL they soon become INEVITABLE "- Christopher Reeve
BST: Tennessebanker, Downtown1974, LarkinCollector, nendee
BST: Tennessebanker, Downtown1974, LarkinCollector, nendee
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Those old holders are bad for that stuff, but really, how were we to know? There are newer (non-pvc) album pages and flips that are supposed to be safer.
Gold is relatively inert, and will be unaffected save for any traces of copper that might be on the surfaces of the coins.
Cautions: acetone is highly flammable, use in a well ventilated area. Also, it will remove oils and moisture from the skin so it is best to minimize contact with the liquid. Luckily, it is low toxicity (the human body makes it and eliminates it).
Usuall PVC damage of this scope is not a problem because the color you see is actually chloride oxide of the silver and copper content off the surface of the coin(s) and that this colored product is apparently dissolved into the plastic/petroleum slime that is the polyvinyl breakdown product on the surface of the coin. Acetone will bring that messy product off the surface in most cases. I usually liberally then wash the surface with dishwater detergent and LOTS of water and then tamp the surface dry with a clean white towel - NO RUBBING ALLOWED!
Well, just Love coins, period.
This is disappointing because that album was from Germany, yet the wrong material was used in creating it. What is a PVC album good for, then? Postcards? Stamped Envelopes?
(I know stamp collecting is at an all time low, but I have some philatelic products).
I have heard of acetone baths and read the threads on them. No nail polish remover, it must be pure acetone. Walmart is good. Home Depot should be as well. I will read labels carefully. Using fingers dipped in acetone is not wise, but for such a small volume, its of no consequence. I know it removes oils from skin, but its temporary. I think the Lindner company (Germany) sells some thongs that one can use (but I will check to see if they are acetone resistant).
The 2 beaker system of acetone bath and rinse makes sense. A final rinse in distilled water is OK, but acetone dissipates anyway, so there is no residue after the final acetone rinse, right? Using 100% cotton cloth is advised for laying down the coins to "dry"....how about microfiber? I know the rule, NO RUBBING. Drying should be quick, so compressed air may not even be necessary to dry the coins on the towel, right? Instead of compressed air, won't a blow dryer also be safe for coins?
Luckily, these silver coins are not expensive, but I like them for sentimental reasons, since they were some of the first I had. At the very least, they will retain their silver value, which is not too shabby.
BST: Tennessebanker, Downtown1974, LarkinCollector, nendee
As for tongs, E&T Kointainer Co. sells good, inexpensive ones that I use. They are available from a decent supply dealer (Brooklyn Gallery & Brent-Krueger come to mind).
Well, just Love coins, period.
<< <i>won't a blow dryer also be safe for coins? >>
I don't think I'd use a blow dryer, because heat could potentially damage or discolor the coin (at least that's how I understand it).
I'd be especially mindful if a woman of child-bearing age. One especially nasty fact about PVC is that the lead, cadmium or other metal added as a stabilizer tends to leech out, never actually bonding with the plastic used. We've known about PVC residue on coins,; now it makes more sense and it's not difficult to understand the obvious danger to humans.
I'd use washable gloves when handling soft vinyl flips or coins removed from soft vinyl flips, like those in the OP.
At the worst, given my past experience with flips, I believe that the coin collecting community should avoid soft vinyl flips and plastic 2x2 pages, basically pages for slides from cameras.
Be careful out there. : )
Admittedly, this is my take on the subject, and perhaps I am the first to surface this danger to collectors.
I couldn't resist trying to help. Many of us have children and grandchildren. ; )
I have collected U.S coins for many years, and then Civil War Tokens, but am now actively building a collection of 18th Century Conder Tokens, the coins that made the Industrial Revolution a whopping success. : )