Should I acetone this 1936 Proof Lincoln?

WingedLiberty1957 · December 21, 2011 12:33AM

I recently bought a raw 1936 proof lincoln off ebay -- and I am wondering if I should acetone the coin before submitting it for grading. I have no idea if PCGS will grade this coin as is, or if it's already destined to be a "Genuine" coin.

The reason I am thinking about acetoning this is the coin has some obvious cloudiness on the obverse and some milky spots on the reverse. I have heard that acetone can clear "cloudiness" on a coins surface (no idea on the milky spots). I would like to know the expert's opinions.

Is acetoning toned proof copper an ok idea or a bad idea fraught with peril?

My biggest fear is that I will ruin the nice color this coin has (although I have heard conflicting opinions on this -- some say acetone will not affect natural toning at all -- i have heard others say never dip toned copper in acetone because the results are unpredictable. )

Opinions?

Also I would like to know what the proper procedure is for dipping a coin in actone. I did buy some 100% chemically pure acetone off ebay

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GCOLMK

Did I buy a good brand?

Next, If I do acetone the coin, what is the proper procedure?

This is what I have heard (no idea if this is the best method or not)

1. pour the acetone in 3 bowls ... (cover each with aluminum foil to prevent too much evaporation into the air)
2. drop the coin in the 1st bowl and allow the coin to sit in the first bowl for perhaps an hour ...
3. then remove the coin and put it in the the 2nd clean bowl ... let it sit for a few minutes ...
4. then put the coin in the 3rd clean bowl of acetone ... swish it around ... then remove the coin and let it air dry
5. (DO NOT rinse with distilled water, but instead allow the acetone to evaporate)

I am not sure about the procedure or the times in the dips noted above, please correct me if I am wrong.

Another thing I have no idea is how do I handle the coin in this procedure ... I realize only touch the rims ... however should I use rubber gloves? or my bare fingers? Or are their some sort of specialized coin tongs that I could buy?

I have included a bunch of photos of the coin shot with my iphone ... in certain, particular lighting and viewing angles the coin looks great ... from other angles just ok.

Thanks for any feedback!

By the way, the 2nd image below (which is a composite set of 4 images) shows the cloudiness pretty clearly ... the coin just looks dull and filmy from some angles.

This image shows the cloudiness (dull and filmy obverse)

OldEastside · December 21, 2011 12:42AM

I kinda like it the way it is, but thats me.

Steve

robec · December 21, 2011 12:53AM

I have heard that acetone reacts adversely to proof copper.

Mark · December 21, 2011 1:06AM

I agree with OldEastside (Steve); that is, I like it the way it is. Frankly, if I wanted the coin in a PCGS slab (which I would) I would submit the coin as is to see what I get. If it turns out that I am happy with what I get, that's the end of the story. If I was unhappy, then I might well crack it out and dip it (depending on what others say about the dipping process; I do not pretend to have enough experience with acetone to know the likely outcome). Yes, you might have to pay for two submissions. But I like the tradeoff of potentially two submission fees versus limiting the risk of immediately damaging the coin with a rinse, either because of the acetone or because of something I did in the acetone rinse process

PerryHall · December 21, 2011 1:19AM

Proof copper and acetone don't get along. I wouldn't mess with it if it were my coin. It looks fine the way it is and I don't think you will like the results if you dip it in acetone.

renomedphys · December 21, 2011 1:27AM

Nice coin! Leave it for now.

BTW, light cotton gloves work very well. Just be sure to use a new pair, and be extra careful not to swipe the fields.

WingedLiberty1957 · December 21, 2011 1:30AM

wow ... that's a landslide for don't acetone!

yes, the 1936 Lincoln Proof is such a rare coin already (5,568 mintage), it's probably too much of a gamble

However I might run an acetone experiment on a very cheap toned high-mintage proof lincoln from the 1960's (a $10 coin) -- if I do that I will be sure to post before and after pictures -- as I am curious what acetone would do to toned proof copper. But gambling with a '36 proof is just too much of a risk.

Thanks for all the feedback.

If anyone else has opinons, feel free to post

TomB · December 21, 2011 1:31AM

Looks like a pretty coin. Please keep in mind that acetone is extraordinarily flammable and that the vapors can ignite from any manner of spark or other form of ignition. It is, however, infinitely soluble in water. If you have any nicks, cuts or scrapes and your hands and you don't wear gloves then you may be in for a very sharp, stinging surprise.

Windycity · December 21, 2011 1:56AM

No.... Keep it as is.

mingot · December 21, 2011 2:06AM

Don't do it.

if you don't like the way that coin looks sell it to someone who does and use the proceeds to buy one you like!

droopyd · December 21, 2011 3:02AM

I'd leave it as is, not "ideal" but good enough.

lkeigwin · December 21, 2011 3:50AM

Acetone and proof, or red, copper don't mix. I'd leave it alone. Acetone is unlikely to do anything about the spots anyway.
Lance.

lusterlover · December 21, 2011 3:53AM

I'm a big fan of originality so I say leave it alone. I'm also a big fan of the '36 proof Lincolns as I think most people don't appreciate how hard it is to find a nice high grade example. BTW, I can't tell from the photos but is that a T1 or T2?

WingedLiberty1957 · December 21, 2011 4:04AM

Thanks for all the great feedback ... I learned a lot.

Yes the 1936 Lincoln Proof is a rarity ... in the ballpark with some of the Matte Proof Lincolns.
The original mintage was a bit over 5000 coins but many fewer were slabbed.

The total PCGS slab count for the 1936 Satin Proof is around 340 and about 940 for the Brilliant Proof --
but only about 180 of those in both categories fell in the RB or BN color category

So a toned 1936 Proof is extremely rare.

I am pretty sure this is the more common Brilliant Proof, but I will let PCGS be the ultimate judge.

Should I acetone this 1936 Proof Lincoln?

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