The taboo topic of cleaning coins.

[MaximilianMike]

Hello Collectors!

 

First off, I have never cleaned any of my coins. I do not believe in it and I know what cleaning does to value. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I do have a serious question on the topic.

 

Short of a conservation service, is there an acceptable way to remove green buildup from a silver coin? I'm not sure if it is tarnish or pvc damage. I have heard that olive oil will safely lift off grime without harming the coin.

 

I am just curious if there is an acceptable means to accomplish this task. I will likely just leave it be but would really like to hear what you all think.

 

Thanks all and Happy Holidays!

 

Mike

[Deerefan8420]

If it's PVC or some other organic material, you can try soaking it in pure acetone(not fingernail polish remover) for 15-20 minutes and see if that removes the gunk that is built up on your coin. Some organics can be a bit more stubborn than others so longer soaking times may be required.

[MaximilianMike]

Thanks for the reply. Will acetone ruin the patena or the silver itself? I don't want to ruin the coin.

[DaveG]

Acetone should only affect organic matter, not any metal (which includes patina or "tarnish").

[ldhair]

Acetone is safe on the coin. No rubbing, just a bath. Keep in mind that the surface of the coin under the green may not look all that nice.

[Raisethis2]

Acetone is the ONLY recommended product to use.

 

 

Absolutely no rubbing,

 

No open flame.

 

Immediately rinse thoroughly with warm water after soaking.

 

Blot dry.

 

If it was PVC check the coins surface to see if the PVC "ate" into the silver.

 

PS. Olive Oil contains a very mild acid.

 

 

[MaximilianMike]

Good information. Thanks all! I have a 1867 Maximilian Peso that I might use a little acetone on.

[dadams]

We'd love to see before and after pics!

[MaximilianMike]

Okay, if I do it I will take before and afters and share them here.

[MaximilianMike]

So I decided to try this my first go on a couple of Morgan's that I own. I was comfortable enough after that experiment to try it on my 1827 capped bust that badly needed help. I think I like the results of the half but have no real feeling toward the outcome of the Morgans. I am sharing them so that anyone who might be interested in trying can see a before and after. I decided to leave my Maximilian Peso's the way they are. Enjoy!

[Conder101]

You say you "dipped" them. What did you dip them in? It clearly wasn't anything like ez-est or a tarn-ex type liquid.

 

Never mind, when I opened the thread for some reason only the last post came up.

[MaximilianMike]

I think when I added this segment to the thread I might have not done it right. I am still kind of a novice on these forum boards.

 

But I should specify for all who might be curious what method and materials that I used.

 

I used pure acetone that I picked up from Ace Hardware. I put it in a glass jar. Each coin was submerged for about a minute to a minute and a half. I did some very light dabbing and rolling, on the obverse of the Half Dollar, with a cotton swab. Then, I set each coin in a distilled water bath and let them air dry.

 

Not too bad of a process overall, a couple of small things that often might not be thought about as I found out are:

 

1. Gloves or not, acetone feels very cold. I had nitrile gloves on.

 

2. Ventilation is extremely important. I was in my garage with the door open and a breeze pushing air in, but still got a little loopy from it.

 

Mike

[Conder101]

1. Gloves or not, acetone feels very cold. I had nitrile gloves on.

This comes from the evaporation of the acetone. In order to go from a liquid to a gas energy has to be added to the acetone. That energy comes from your fingers (They have a higher energy density than the air and can give up the energy faster) That energy loss results in a lowering of the temperature of your fingers