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hazelman

Using acetone to clean coins

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Just paid £35 John

Lets have ago and test the results properly on copper ,if you have some instructions let me know what works best.

All the best and happy christmas.

Pete.

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Edit to add:

"In the interim ... Long live the use of Acetone in the U.K. ... hey ... its cheap but the real question is can it get past a grading service as never being cleaned or a Spinks cataloger .... for that matter."

I'm dumbstruck, of course acetone will get past the TPGCs! Nothing happens, except the coin is decontaminated! What's wrong with everyone, it's not cleaned, acetone cannot clean, only remove grime that may one day attack the coin!

Here's my two-penneth, if all perfect coins were decontaminated by acetone, we'd never see a fingerprint upon them ever again. If you get a 100 year old bronze coin in dazzling BU, how long before a 21C careless print makes its appearance? How much do you think the previous seller or auction house cared about handling pre delivery to you? Your prized BU penny from an auction house has just been handled more than a 2010 currency 10p of Elizabeth! It's a shame, but a fact.

I think it should be a routine thing that we decontaminate a coin before filing it into our own collections! I do, and always will! All 8 coins from my own collection are sat void of acidic human grease!

Although I'd hazard a guess that the vast majority of fingerprints on such coins, appeared during, or shortly after, the brief time they were in actual circulation. So the fingerprint is most likely from someone long dead.

I'm not sure how careless or otherwise staff at specialist coin auction houses are. Do you have any evidence to support an assertion that they handle them carelessly?

What does bug me are those endless pics on e bay with a coin photograohed in somebody's hand.

At the auctions I've attended, the coins are in and out of the wallets at a million miles an hour, and being handled by anyone who wants to inspect it.

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Edit to add:

"In the interim ... Long live the use of Acetone in the U.K. ... hey ... its cheap but the real question is can it get past a grading service as never being cleaned or a Spinks cataloger .... for that matter."

I'm dumbstruck, of course acetone will get past the TPGCs! Nothing happens, except the coin is decontaminated! What's wrong with everyone, it's not cleaned, acetone cannot clean, only remove grime that may one day attack the coin!

Here's my two-penneth, if all perfect coins were decontaminated by acetone, we'd never see a fingerprint upon them ever again. If you get a 100 year old bronze coin in dazzling BU, how long before a 21C careless print makes its appearance? How much do you think the previous seller or auction house cared about handling pre delivery to you? Your prized BU penny from an auction house has just been handled more than a 2010 currency 10p of Elizabeth! It's a shame, but a fact.

I think it should be a routine thing that we decontaminate a coin before filing it into our own collections! I do, and always will! All 8 coins from my own collection are sat void of acidic human grease!

Although I'd hazard a guess that the vast majority of fingerprints on such coins, appeared during, or shortly after, the brief time they were in actual circulation. So the fingerprint is most likely from someone long dead.

I'm not sure how careless or otherwise staff at specialist coin auction houses are. Do you have any evidence to support an assertion that they handle them carelessly?

What does bug me are those endless pics on e bay with a coin photograohed in somebody's hand.

At the auctions I've attended, the coins are in and out of the wallets at a million miles an hour, and being handled by anyone who wants to inspect it.

Not good as far as UNC examples are concerned. Not such an issue on below EF.

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Not good as far as UNC examples are concerned. Not such an issue on below EF.

Discounting proofs and stuff from modern mint sealed bags, all coins have been handled by somebody, I've never had someone give me change using cotton gloves or handling every individual coin by the edge! :)

Just serendipidy that some coins develop a fingerprint or carbon spots as they age, there's a lot to be said for nice even toning on bronze rather than chasing lustre

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I'm with Coinery on this one, I dont consider removing detrimental surface contaminants (salts, greases, wax, oils) 'cleaning' in the perjorative numismatic sense of the word, but rather preventative conservation; the surface structure and composition of the coin itself is not altered , rather future damage from acids and salts is prevented. Dealing with copper alloys this is otherwise a very real risk long term. I suspect the break-down of organic deposits including skin oils and the chloride and acid salts released within to be the main cause of verdigris, aggravated by atmospheric moisture.

Jerry

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future damage from acids and salts is prevented. Dealing with copper alloys this is otherwise a very real risk long term. I suspect the break-down of organic deposits including skin oils and the chloride and acid salts released within to be the main cause of verdigris, aggravated by atmospheric moisture.

Jerry

Agreed, all my new purchases get a degrease with an acetone soaked cotton bud

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Not good as far as UNC examples are concerned. Not such an issue on below EF.

Discounting proofs and stuff from modern mint sealed bags, all coins have been handled by somebody, I've never had someone give me change using cotton gloves or handling every individual coin by the edge! :)

Just serendipidy that some coins develop a fingerprint or carbon spots as they age, there's a lot to be said for nice even toning on bronze rather than chasing lustre

I agree, David.

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I've posted this a couple of times on here along the way but, when decontaminating coins with acetone and q-tips/cotton buds, remember to dip each end of the bud into the acetone bottle only once!

I'll never forget (and it's testament to how much junk you can unknowingly remove from the surface of a coin) getting to the end of my first bottle, and realising in the last 4mm of fluid (a dark bottle) was around 2mm of old coin gunk, which I had been smearing back over my coins in ignorant bliss!

I only ever dip the q-tip in the solution once nowadays, and wasted around 100 flips by having to start all over again! :(

My tip of the year! ;)

Edited by Coinery

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I sent a free bottle to Paulis on this chat room so he can report results and possible post before/after pictures.

If you know Julia Purdy her E-Bay name is chullie and is one of my better customers who uses the product to clean her coppers before posting to E-Bay. She presented photos to people on local Yahoo Chat Rooms. Contact her via Ebay and she can send the photos.

Its $35 NOT 35 pounds! Please ... LOL.

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Julia Purdy's E-Mail is jpurdy382@gmail.com

Just ask she can send you the photos.

JPL

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... or is it Paulus ...

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Just paid £35 John

Lets have ago and test the results properly on copper ,if you have some instructions let me know what works best.

All the best and happy christmas.

Pete.

Will look forward to hearing about and seeing your results Pete. Very interested.

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I sent a free bottle to Paulis on this chat room so he can report results and possible post before/after pictures.

If you know Julia Purdy her E-Bay name is chullie and is one of my better customers who uses the product to clean her coppers before posting to E-Bay. She presented photos to people on local Yahoo Chat Rooms. Contact her via Ebay and she can send the photos.

Its $35 NOT 35 pounds! Please ... LOL.

Well its not that funny i have sent £35 :o

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? Sure he will give you a refund on the excess funds sent!!!

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I will calculate the difference and send U.S. cash with cleaner.

If you have any 19thC or older Bronze Medals it works INCREDIBLE on this type of numismatic item.

You can try light green verdigris on Proofs but careful and use multiple Q-Tips. I will supply some special Safety swabs geared for infants.

Use in a well ventilated area due to the strong orange odor (non-hazardous). Throw out all tissues or Q-tips to remove orange odor source.

Consult with Paulus on any negative items.

If the copper patina is attractive obviously leave alone and of course fine with brass, bronze and other soft metal alloys.

Try on some current U.K. pence until you are comfortable. Close cap after use as it evaporates somewhat like acetone.

E-Mail me with any concerns - johnmenc@optonline.net

John Lorenzo

United States

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Is there any feedback as yet on this cleaner? I have a couple of low value ish coins that could do with a good de gunking so have read this therad with interest.

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8 hours ago, PWA 1967 said:

Not received mine yet .

Sure paul will let us know .

Gonna have to acquire some cheap gunky copper to try it out, as I don't have any coins that would benefit from this treatment at the moment ...

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I have not received any money yet. I did send a bottle to Paulus (complimentary) - maybe its still in route?

 

John Lorenzo

United States

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It arrived the other day thanks John, will test soon :)

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If any forum member has any rang tang its something i dont have.

Happy to post before and after pictures.

If anyone has any rubbish coins happy to pay the postage and please PM me.

 

Thank you.

 

Pete.

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I put in some recommendations. It has a strong non-hazardous orange odor so discard all cleaning tissues and the like after cleaning your coins.

 

Best on green light verdigris. Confirm it has no effect on the cartwheel effect for Mint State Coins. Be negative - but realize it was strictly made for copper alloys as to not change any differences to the surface. No one has disagreed that after cleaning the coin it passes the people at the slab companies (NGC,PCGS,ANACS). Realize to use many Q-tips and such as not to create hairline scratches. I find this cleaner valuable therefore on circulation type coins whether $1 or $10,000 IMO.

If you own a 19thC bronze medal try it on this type of issue and be astonished! LOL.

BTW - the picture in my profile was when I visited the BM in 2013 and presented the BM my book I did with Robert Gurney on the Spanish/American Counterfeit 8 Reales currently being sold on Amazon Books both in the U.S. and U.K..

 

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Just checked by PayPal history and no record was found.

 

johnmenc@optonline.net check this E-Mail carefully and your own PayPal history.

 

JPL

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Sent copies of the original receipt from pay pal to a forum member who can confirm its right..

Maybe you will post one and on receipt i will pay again ,sure you can trust me.

Look forward to posting before and after pictures.

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