A simple wire dipping rig for use with coins

[pendragon1998]

I occasionally find that I need to conserve a new coin in acetone, usually because a seller has shipped it in a PVC flip that has begun to leave residue on the coin. My area of the country (Georgia) is very hot, and coins in the mail tend to receive some heat, accelerating the PVC breakdown and deposition.

 

Rinsing the coin with acetone presents me with the problem: how do I hold the coin? I could bare finger it, but besides trying not to touch my coins bare-handed, I dislike the drying effect of acetone on my flesh (not to mention the sting if I had a small cut - ouch!). I could use metal (not plastic) coin tongs, but I don't like squeezing a coin with metal tongs. I'm allergic to latex, so I use nitrile gloves; acetone dissolves them, and I find it leaves a residue on coins when that happens.

 

To solve my problem, I made a simple metal wire rig that the coin sits in while being rinsed or when in an acetone bath. The bare metal will not react with the acetone. This simple rig is basically just a pair of stiff wires, crossed and twisted at their centers to make an 'X', then bent to form a cage for the coin, and wrapped around each other to form a basic handle. The coin (I have a junky ike dollar here for illustration) sits safely within the cage part of the rig. The coin only touches the rig at four points along the rim; it is not squeezed by the wires (pic 1). I open the cage and gently rest the coin on the three wires (pics 2 and 3), then close the cage by moving a fourth, pre-bent, wire into place and hooking it behind the other three (pic 4). If you take minimal care not to shake the coin around, scratching is absolutely no problem. Below are some photos to illustrate.

 

One caveat: I don't know that I would use this rig with an acidic "dip", like eZest. The two different metals, plus the acid electrolyte could potentially cause some metal transfer via electrolysis. Acetone will not cause a problem in that department.

 

Like I said, this is a very simple setup, but that's the best kind, right? Thought this might be of some minor use to someone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BankNote1]

Interesting idea!

I just drop a coin into a medicine bottle filled with acetone pop on the top and just shake gently. Works great except for some of the safety tops leak on the larger size bottles.

[physics-fan3.14]

The idea of metal like that being manipulated around my coins would make me nervous. I wouldn't want to accidentaly scratch something valuable. And I don't think I'd like the idea of shaking my coin around in a bottle either. I just gently set the coin in the bottom of a container, pour on the acetone, and then pick it up with my fingers.

[Yarm]

I use a series of different sized strainers for his purpose.

The strainers fit neatly into ceramic bowls. Although

the metal screen of each strainer is pliable, I place

a piece of cheeseclothe in the bottom of the strainer

before I insert a coin or medal to avoid any scraping

of the surfaces.

 

[bsshog40]

Pretty good ideas. I still just use my 6" tongs with the rubber tips.

[BankNote1]

The bottle is plastic also nothing but the edges touch when I lightly agate the bottle. I can pour off the acetone and drop the coin on a clean cloth. No wires, no tongs, and nothing gets scratched. I do this to every coin I purchase that isn't in a TPG holder. Every coin that I have sent in to NGC or PCGS that was done this way has slabbed!

[ldhair]

I'll wait a while to give my opinion on the best way to use acetone but the thought of using plastic, rubber or metal in the process is something I would never do.