fdick96740 Posted August 30, 2020 Share Posted August 30, 2020 Have searched but haven't found anything to help. I have severa coins that were not properly stored and have ended up with various degrees of tarnish - not toning. If i was a buyer, i would never purchase them. The question is there an acceptable way to clean these coing? I have seen coins listed that say 'improperly cleaned' which implied that there might be a correct way to accomplish it without devaluing the coin?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coinbuf Posted August 30, 2020 Share Posted August 30, 2020 Without photos the best advice we can give you is not to clean any coin as some methods and products can and do damage the coins surface. There are some products available that can be safely used by inexperienced collectors that are safe for some coins. One of those is acetone good high grade pure acetone (not nail polish remover) can when used safely be used to remove some organic things like PVC from the surface of silver coins. Soaking a silver coin in acetone for a short time then gently agitating the coin while suspended in the acetone wil in many cases dislodge any gunk on the coin. The problem is that once the foreign substance has been removed you may find that the surface of the coin has been permanently etched or damaged. Acetone will not remove toning. Never ever under any circumstance use a brush or rub and wipe a coin, this will leave visible lines and the coin will be damaged forever. Tarnish and toning are one and the same its just that some tarnish is considered attractive and some is not. I would encourage you to send these coins to NGC for restoration service. They have experience and can evaluate each coin to see if the coin can be helped or not. rons 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdick96740 Posted August 30, 2020 Author Share Posted August 30, 2020 Thanks for the info, here is one of the coins - i think, the worst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coinbuf Posted August 30, 2020 Share Posted August 30, 2020 Well that is what I would call terminal toning, terminal is reached when the tone is black. The issue you face is that the coin is a circulated coin that grades VF something (imo), it could be dipped but then you would have a dull white 100+ year old coin which will look very unnatural. While it is not the most attractive looking coin sometimes the best thing is to do nothing. But if you fell like investing a few dollars you could send in this and maybe one other for restoration service. That way you can see what if anything NGC can do and if the results are pleasing to you or not. Very often toning that dark has begun to etch the surface so it is very difficult to know what the end result might look like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rons Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 I kind of like the look of that Barber half. I would put that in my book and not worry about it. Not sure if the conservation cost could ever be recouped. But, that is just me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdick96740 Posted September 3, 2020 Author Share Posted September 3, 2020 (edited) I hear you 'rons' i guess it looks like the real deal, not like some of the coins i've seen that are bright and shiny but not 'weathered'. I admit that i like the less 'toned' coins but hey, there are people out there that like the difference :-) If i were keeping it and 'passing it on' i would likely clean it... Selling - different story.. Edited September 3, 2020 by fdick96740 more to say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyronvander Posted May 23, 2021 Share Posted May 23, 2021 (edited) Wow! Great coins you have in your collection, if I had them I would give them to my children and they to theirs. Oh, dreams... dreams. I think they'd be happy to have such a gift from their grandfather. Because all I got from my grandfather was a dirty and smelly air conditioner. I wanted to sell it to someone cheaper, so I could get rid of it quickly and forget about it. I decided to do an aircon chemical cleaning first, got it so well cleaned, and they also applied an antibacterial spray. Now I'm not sure if I want to sell it, it's still a memory. Edited May 24, 2021 by tyronvander Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdick96740 Posted May 24, 2021 Author Share Posted May 24, 2021 9 hours ago, tyronvander said: Wow! Great coins you have in your collection, if I had them I would give them to my children and they to theirs. Understand your thought, but my situation tells me to sell after so many years of enjoyment. I will pass on a few of the more collectible coins but as of now, the cash has been coming in handy for once in a life time vacations and upgrading my other 'collectibles'. Thanks for the reply.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
