i use 100% pure extra virgin olive oil to clean my coins. It takes months but does not scratchor damage them. But the olive oil has to be "pure extra virgin" because the other diluted ones do make the coins lighter and if left too long makes them look way to shiny as the oil will turn into syrup if left unchanged too long.
I have submerged really bad coins inside a small jar containing acetone, rinse with water, and dried. I have submitted for grading and they have not been returned as cleaned. So far so good.
Daniel: What perfect timing! I had been thinking about using acetone on several hundred Morgan/Peace dollars that I bought at auction over the years, which I basically bought at junk silver prices. Some of these coins have PVC, some even look like they have shoe polish on them. I see nothing wrong with cleaning these types of silver dollars, as they look awful and they will never be more than "culls" anyway. Why do I have so many? I like to play poker with my friends and we use them in the game. The winner gets to keep one. It's loads of fun. Would I ever use acetone on a rarer coin? Absolutely not! Like you said, everyone has to use their own judgment and we are all responsible for our own actions. This video has been very helpful to me. Once again, Daniel, thanks for such a great video! Cheers.
The Q tips will leave hairlines, the coin will then details. Whenever I need to get gunk off a coin I put it in a bath of acetone and then seal the cover on it and let it sit for a while then take it out rinse it off you have 3 different acetone baths that will remove PVC residue and all the other stuff without leaving hairlines.
The q tip does not leave hairlines, been using them for 20 years. You never bare down on a coin, even with your shirt, it's the method. I used Qtip on this coin ruclips.net/video/NQaOgR78cyo/видео.html
@@CoinHELPu Love your content! I would not trust a qtip I know if you roll it it shouldn't leave hairlines. But sometimes it does. I have an Au/BU type set. My 1838 Ms 64 raw capped bust quarter (its gorgeous!) got a bath. Not taking any chances with a qtip.
You help me out in more ways then you know sir . thanks for making your videos not only educational,, they are also short sweet to the point but most importantly they are enjoyable or kinda fun to me watch.. you are the only teacher so far in my life whose class I've never fallen asleep in lol 😎😎😎..
I have soaked almost 50 coins in acetone, then sent them to NGC and PCGS and received the grade. Acetone, unless you scratch the coin in the process, will NOT result in a cleaned/details grade. Period, end of story...first hand experience.
did you rinse it with destilled water? I like to try it with a capped bust half dollar but not sure if just the bath will do it or if I should use the rubber gloves and massage the coin lol
Thank you Daniel. I have been looking at tape on a 1922 Peace dollar since 1984, (I was 5 years old, dad had this coin now its mine) but I've been thinking about this for a few years now & Working at Ace Hardware I see acetone everyday, think I will try this.
I've worked with Acetone for a good chunk of my working career, it is an excellent cleaner for removing grease and it will damage many plastics. I used it as a degreaser and for removing flux residue after soldering being careful because it will damage the protective plastic coating on circuit boards. Will not damage metals. I enjoy your videos, they are always informative, thanks.
Hi Daniel! I bought a Morgan from a bargain bin that was in a display. The reverse hade a layer of that old hard glue. I got it all off by soaking in hot water! Reverse is now BU! 😁. Cheers, Brother!
I have absolutely no problem's with acetone being used on a person's coins for their private collection trying to clean sticky soda spilt on it or maybe some glue. This is the correct way to remove such stuff like that. It's when people that are not educated in what to use is when there's a problem. People that see a old cent or other copper coin with sticky stuff like spilt soda or glue and they don't educate themselves before hand on what is and what isn't safe to use on a copper cent or copper plated for that matter and start picking up ketchup or heck even Coca-Cola the list goes on and on and the next thing they know they have a pink not copper but pink ruined cent that may or may not be valuable before they try to remove what they took off. I am glad you made this video to try to educate collector's of what is safe without a doubt. Great video!
We've used acetone on copper coins with the green cancer growing on it. Corrosion needs to be stopped! So cleaning in this situation is better than letting it continue.
If it's a glue-based adhesive use Naptha. It's similar to acetone in that it's volatile and evaporates easily, but it works faster than acetone on glues, tapes or anything that's sticky. And I recommend using solvent resistant gloves whenever you use acetone, naptha or heptane to remove sticky substances.
Nice instructional video , I happen to place all my Raw coins in acetone before I transfer them to 2X2 regardless if they are BU or VF doesn’t matter I soak them in clean acetone to remove finger oils and dirt or dust by whom ever owned the coin before I purchased it … I’ve left coin soak in acetone for a whole week with no problems … one thing I do like to do sometimes is I’ll heat up Distilled water (let it cool down a little) put the coin in heated water for 10 minutes or so (not scalding hot water!) then I transfer it to acetone bath let it soak for as long as it needs the heat help loosen up dirt or grime on old coins … as for copper same could be said as well … I also soaked copper coins in heated olive oil as well but it took long time to remove some of the gunk on copper coins
Thank you so much for sharing this information. When it comes right down to it, it's a choice. And i've been learning all I can in order to make an informed decision. Some of my coins are so bad, cleaning them is the only way I can see what I have. And let me say this laughingly. I get so irritated sometimes to see what is underneath that I don't care if the coins value is affected. Knowing the answer for my own amusement and education was worth it. Again, thank you very much for all your insight.
I give every coin I send to NGC an acetone bath first to avoid any problems with PVC, never had any problems. Usually gives my 19th century silver a better shine before encapsulation.
Hey Daniel, after seeing this, I had some coins which I was thinking I'd test on. I had bought a cull roll of V nickels....they had all sorts of issues, however there was an 1883 (no cents) where the date looked near pristine, as did the denticles I could make out. I used the qtip method you demonstrated here....What I revealed on this coin was very sharp detail, Id say up to AU details, maybe slightly more. While its still discolored (these coins had to be stored in the most awful of ways) I was able to remove enough to where looking through a loop shows all detail, a beautiful complete Liberty, and almost all hair detail is intact.....The denticles look mint state. Of course doing this (I wrote "acetone" on the flip) isn't going to do anything for its value however, Im glad I did this, for if I didnt, I wouldnt have been able to see just how high quality and out of circulation the coin always was....and it didn't seem to really harm the coin...it just removed what it could. Thanks for this video.
Having worked in a laboratory for decades and used acetone on all kinds of aerospace components that are used subsequently in aircraft engines I can say that from my perspective acetone is ok to use on most materials. However, if you choose to do it, as Daniel says, its you own risk.
Great video Daniel I would clean my Lincoln cents because they came from the bank and coin machines where people bring them in and dump them in coin machines and God only knows the percentage of cup holder coins, art project coins , glues and nail polish ,gum,all sorts of gunk . I don't care about value it's my collection I just want to be able to see what ever details are left on them.
Interesting, I've been wondering about this. Used acetone when I use to do silk screening. It literally freezes and knocks off ink that you didn't want to get on a shirt. Seems it works similar with coins. Good to know and thank you for sharing.
I once had an early Durango Mint 8 reale coin...i think the population on this was like 40-60 pieces, and it was either an 1823 or 1824..early Mexico Federal issue. It was in fantastic condition except that it had been glued into a belt buckle with epoxy at some point of its life. I struggled for about 6 weeks trying to figure out how to remove the epoxy. I finally realized that since olive oil is safe for use on copper and silver coins, then hot olive oil must also be safe. I heated olive oil in a stainless steel pan until it was very hot. When i dropoed that coin into the hot oil, the epoxy disaapeared immediately and the coin took on a very even light toning.
For whatever reason it seemed to add visual depth to the copper penny. I can see why, on a cleaned coin, it is cleaning old abrasion's which have dulled over time. The acetone cleans up those abrasions and makes them pop, but there is no other way to get old contaminates off. Judgement call. Thanks
My favorite coin in my collection is an 1880 young head shilling I got back in like 2002. I call it my jury duty coin because I used the money Arizona paid me back for the gas mileage for 2 days of jury duty to buy the coin lol. It was in a flip, with some random company's insert along with claiming it was BU, and tbh, it looks it to me. However, I forgot it in the flip for years, and by the time I put it into a better holder, it feels like it has this off color to it in certain angles of the light. I don't plan on ever getting rid of the coin, but would one day love to have it put in a PCGS holder, and am afraid that the tiny glint of color I see at those certain angles is what they call PVC residue, or damage.
Don't bother with that PCGS 'slabbing' crap, they are just a rip-off, and use fantasy grades! I'd NEVER use them. I own a superb 1865 Victoria Shilling (die no 11), which has beautiful toning, and will NEVER clean it in any way!! I also own a superb 1824 George IV Shilling, in even better condition, with excellent blue toning.
Acetone is something I would never have thought of, on my own. I've had some interesting results using lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol, but have never experimented with anything beyond nickles.
Thank you. I've been wondering how and what to use. May not be very exciting, but sometime something like your video is exactly what we are looking for. Again thanks
Acetone is non reactive to metals used in numismatics. I have soaked coins in acetone for a couple of weeks before trying to remove some sort of gunk and it didn't harm them at all. Come to find out, all I needed was distilled water because acetone doesn't remove sugar based contaminates.
Great point! Distilled water should be considered the default solvent for numismatists. Assuming it is gently patted dry immediately after use (ideally with a semi-absorbent single-use lab wipe) I can’t imagine DI damaging a coin.
Acetone removes PVC residue from silver coins. I have used it on mint state silver coins with good result when rinsed completely with pure alcohol, then distilled water afterward. I do not rub a mint state coin with a Q-tip or anything else as the 'mint luster' is very fragile. Just soak, roll, pat, or dab carefully. Notice the dollar that Dan cleaned on the video was a circulated coin and that he advised leaving the second dollar alone. Copper and copper nickel coins are difficult to clean by any means without leaving an 'unnatural' color. They may look fine immediately after using acetone but retone poorly to an 'off' color over time. Experiment with coins of little or no value. Let them 'season' for several months after treatment and look at them again, then ask yourself if a better coin really 'needs' the same treatment. You can't go back afterward. Conversely, 'green slime' residue from PVC is corrosive and will damage coins if not removed.
@@-oiiio-3993 I agree with your assessment and your technique. I will never touch an uncirculated coin with a Q-Tip - ruined a couple beautiful Morgans that way. I wouldn’t use nail polish remover as a source of acetone - too unrefined, leaves residues if left to dry. I prefer industrial grade, or better yet, reagent grade if available.
It doesn't scratch the coin. I used a q tip on this coin in this video, but I am not telling other people to do what I do. I have over 20 years experience with restoring coins. ruclips.net/video/NQaOgR78cyo/видео.html
The early Photograde books (I have a copy from the 60s) recommended that collectors lacquer their coins to protect them. Basically you eould paint your coin with clear nail polish and then remove it with acetone later. Apparently this did work to keep some early Lincoln cents full red, but I sure wouldn't try that.
Interesting! I inherited a collection with what looks like nail polish on a bunch of coins and I couldn’t figure out why. Fingers crossed that the acetone does the trick.
Cleaning copper coins with acetone will most certainly change their color. They will show a pinkish color rather than the reddish natural copper color. (Don't believe me? Dip a cheap Lincoln cent proof in an acetone bath.) Cleaning coins with a Q-tip is not a good idea either. First, if you try this with a proof, you will have hairlines. (I know you said you said you do not do this to proofs, but the hairlines are there regardless of proof or business strike status.They may be hard to see but they are there.) Also spot cleaning this way will very often cause streaking due to uneven removal of surface dirt. Acetone will dissolve grease and dirt. Without a full bath, the grease and dirt will be shifted around on the surface of the coin. Yes, some may adhere to the Q-tip, but not all. I have collected and worked with coins for over 55 years now. I have seen about everything that can happen to them. On balance, as you stated, acetone be beneficial. But it is not harmless.
I make my living doing this and sending them off to PCGS, NGC, ANACS and you're not correct on several things above. If you dipped a proof in acetone and it turned pinkish then it was already cleaned. Acetone can't strip the finish of a coin and you can use a soggy qtip on proofs, but you must be careful, but it does not harm the coin. I recommended against it either way. I have video documentation of my efforts to prove all I claim. Acetone did not remove anything of the coin but the glue. I could rub a coin with my finger and move debris around, so that really doesn't mean much and doesn't matter on a coin like in this video. The coin was roached without my treatment. I recommend you look up what chemical reactions acetone has on coins. Acetone does not react with coin metal, it only reacts with surface contaminates and it will remove certain contaminates, but it doesn't react with the metal.
Cleaning Coins is fine if we just remove anything on the surface of the coin, If we can do that without damaging the surface of the coin, That's called "Restoring The coin" Thanks for your tips.
What timing!! I had bought 4 rolls of Kennedy half-dollars, and some idjit had marked several of them with a red sharpie!! Just yesterday I used nail polish remover and a cotton ball to get those ugly red marks off---then just washed the coins in simply soap and water, washing my hands too of course. Thanks for this video.
I bought a set of .680 silver coins (20 Francs Turin), and one of them is stained with what appears to be resin or epoxy. May have been glued into a bezel. Not that I care, as they are not really collectible items. I tried acetone, white spirit, and mineral oil to no avail.
I admit I did not know acidtone would remove glue or tape residue from coins I just find it best if I leave the coin the way it is but that is handy information to know i did however read that a mixture of Hydrogen peroxide and viniger would help clean and bring back some luster but I have never tried or tested this method
Hello Daniel , I might try use that stuff to remove milk spots off some bullion silver, I’ve had a guts full of paying good money for the British mints products just to get ugly milk spots , yeah think I’ll just buy perth mint silver, being that I live in Perth . Good video mate 👍
Long ago I worked for Chris Craft building fiberglass boats. We'd wash our hands in Acetone to get the resin off. Never seemed to hurt us. But I was pretty stupid In my youth.
It is an accumulated damage. If you use it once or twice, no problem, but use it many times a day, many days in a row, you will strip the natural oils and moisture from the skin, and end up with hands like mine. Now I use glycerine and lanolin to help my hands retain moisture.
I think we as women use acetone on our nails to remove nail polish, I just had not thought about trying it on my coins but I do have a couple I will try it on now.
Not a lot of people know this but the hand cleansing gels from Covid days were often 50 to 70% Ethanal. Any you have left over is a great cleanser for plastics and metals.,
Acetone is effective in removing fat-soluble substances and adhesives. It has no reactivity with metals. There's only one problem... Toning proceeds quickly after washing with acetone If you do not like toning, put a coin in a solution of a small amount of mineral oil and acetone, take it out, and dry it in the air. It forms a kind of thin protective film.
Acetone does not cause toning. I proved it in this video and numerous times in hand. You're messing with coins that already have issues and when you expose them to the air the surface could tone, but acetone didn't cause it, it can't cause it.
@@CoinHELPu Absolutly, acetone does not cause toning. However, if the protective film on the surface disappears after acetone treatment, there is a possibility of accelerating toning. If you want preservation after acetone treatment, I would recommend using a mineral oil solution.
@흰장갑 I rarely ever have a coin tone, usually that means the coin was played with beforehand or cleaned. I usually can tell and don't even mess with coins like this. Not all coins can or should be restored, that's the other part of this most viewers wouldn't understand. Seems you do.
I have thousands of cents. Any that are circulated get washed with Dawn dish soap and warm water rubbing between my fingers. Then pat dry on soft towel. Then every one of them gets acetone q-tip treatment over the entire coin. My microscope shows nothing as far as damage.
Thanks for the info, I bought a William & Mary Irish copper 1/2d online, but its got Verdigris so I got caught, as its not worth a lot so I can risk it, do you think acetone might work here. Thanks
I have some Morgan dollars and other silver halves and dimes that have developed some black spots that I believe is corrosion, what can I do to remove the spots?
Thank you for saying what you do on your coins I don't really care what happens one way or the other because I have coins that you can't see what they really are so I will take a chance on. Thank you for the honest way you treat us newness! By the way what do you think about my featured coin?
I've had very good results immersing coppers in near boiling water with a few shavings of Ivory bar soap, rinsing, rinsing, rinsing, and then soaking in an acetone bath. (You need to give the acetone a few minutes to work, especially with tape and glue residue.) But HEAT is a very effective addition to the equation. I have not experimented with hot acetone (as the TPG companies do, I hear) - I don't feel comfortable working with it because it does produce toxic vapors as it is, hence the dip in the scalding water first. Surprising how much gunk and NICOTINE just slides off! And the surface and original skin is not disturbed by this process. DON'T use Dawn or other dish-washing liquid or detergent (sodium carbonate). They have sodium compounds (-carbonate, -sulfate) and their effects on the coin will be apparent. But it's so very satisfying especially when a spot you think is permanent turns out to be nothing more than axle grease that comes right off onto your Q-tip! I've also exposed some treacherous disasters with cleaned coins that have been retoned with jeweler's rouge, shoe polish, etc. The coating yields without a fight and you're left with a polished coin so bright it could marshal in a 747! There is no restoring cleaned copper to its original patina, unless you carry it around in your pocket and "circulate" it down a grade or two for the next year - or longer! Again, another educational and much appreciated video! Thanks!
Great channel, Daniel! Any tips/suggestions on how to proceed with a sterling medallion (not a coin!) that was stored for about five decades in a foam insert that has disintegrated? Some foam remnants are still attached to the sterling medallion.
I really don't understand how a pure silver coin, which is 99.99% silver, which has been handled by thousands of hands, and what not, can not be cleaned.
Personally, I don’t like dirty coins, and I also use acetone to to clean a dirty coin if acetone is good for cleaning a Rolex it is it good enough for a coin if a coin has been around since the 1800s, you know that it has been cleaned at one point and if it’s in immaculate condition, that coin has been a safe Queen in some bankers personal collection and not circulated as long as you can read the date of the coin and hasn’t been that worn to me, they’re worth collecting I can live with micro scratches but I don’t like gouging on a coin.
Could I soak coins in water and then use a very soft tooth brush using pure oatmeal soap to clean it some. Not looking for a shine just to take off all those years of being exposed to so many people
Is that first coin an O/CC? The mint mark looked like it could be. Aside from distilled water for rinsing, acetone is the only liquid I feel comfortable placing onto a silver/nickel coin. (I haven't tried on copper) It breaks up dirt and grime and is completely non-reactive to the coin surface. However, I would use a rolling motion with the Q-tip and not use my fingernail to avoid adding hairline scratches.
Hi Sir...I just heard u mention how the camera likes to zoom in on the background. But u had it zoom right in on the coin. I think this is REALLY an issue with these cameras on our phones...especially my Apple Device! How did u get it to stay zoomed in on the front image (if u dont mind me asking)
I have 2006 non magnetic coin Canadian penny but it. Got hung up when stamped I believe this ooin could be worth a lot of money being spent new at this I would like some help on who to send a picture to and contact pls adv asap
What I like to do is use a soft paint brush and Dawn dish soap and use the soft brush to get into the tiny spots and it seems to do a good job for me? I dont plan on selling any of my coins either. I just have a hard time with using chemicals on my coins? lol
@@CoinHELPu I use to paint Cabinets for Kitchens High end stuff. But the thinners and cleaners acetone that I have used. I know it may just be me and then at the Bakery using caustic cleaners every night. Just leary of putting it on my coins and I know it is safe I was a lead and had to be certified with the chemicals. Lol Have a great day Daniel see you soon Brother.
@@moderndayennui4999 I wish I could tell everyone in the world how important they are! What's sad is I can't get one for nail polish nail polish remover and all the crap my wife and granddaughters put on their bodies. But if you can't start a fire just grab their crap
Hi I have a question thats been bothering me lately..As a holder of a of Morgan dollars coins in the grades MS 62/63 and 64. I read a comment that saying unless you own Morgans in the 65 and above grade their not going to go up in price and your wasting your time buying them in low grades Is that true have I wasted my money ? I value your opinion! Thanks.
@@razzyp3999 If your buying graded Morgans, just buy the highest grade you are comfortable buying that makes you happy. I personally like MS 64 and MS 65 best so that's what I buy!
So, you are saying that acetone itself will not harm a coin. If the coin looks harmed after using acetone then that means it was improperly cleaned before? Correct?
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i use 100% pure extra virgin olive oil to clean my coins. It takes months but does not scratchor damage them. But the olive oil has to be "pure extra virgin" because the other diluted ones do make the coins lighter and if left too long makes them look way to shiny as the oil will turn into syrup if left unchanged too long.
I also have a in related questions I have a 1981d Lincoln cent that has A better double ear than the 84, 88 , or 83 is there a 81 double ear variety
@@mikeswiental4815 my method doesn’t scratch the coin.
Very nice demonstration. Got that glue off real good with no harm no foul. Once again you are one of the most honest coin dealer around.
420 bro !
I’ve wanted this video for a very long time😃
THANKS DANIEL.
I have submerged really bad coins inside a small jar containing acetone, rinse with water, and dried. I have submitted for grading and they have not been returned as cleaned. So far so good.
Great video! My LCS showed me this method a few years ago while I was visiting the shop. Thanks for sharing
Once used a sand blaster on a penny. Took the copper coating right off. But it’s clean now.
Tarn-X is more fun
😂 👍🏼
Daniel: What perfect timing! I had been thinking about using acetone on several hundred Morgan/Peace dollars that I bought at auction over the years, which I basically bought at junk silver prices. Some of these coins have PVC, some even look like they have shoe polish on them. I see nothing wrong with cleaning these types of silver dollars, as they look awful and they will never be more than "culls" anyway. Why do I have so many? I like to play poker with my friends and we use them in the game. The winner gets to keep one. It's loads of fun. Would I ever use acetone on a rarer coin? Absolutely not! Like you said, everyone has to use their own judgment and we are all responsible for our own actions. This video has been very helpful to me. Once again, Daniel, thanks for such a great video! Cheers.
What a cool idea for friendly poker!
Sounds fun 👍
I use baking soda and hot water. Wipe lightly with fingers ant dab dry. I get very good results.
The Q tips will leave hairlines, the coin will then details. Whenever I need to get gunk off a coin I put it in a bath of acetone and then seal the cover on it and let it sit for a while then take it out rinse it off you have 3 different acetone baths that will remove PVC residue and all the other stuff without leaving hairlines.
Thats what I do. Do you rinse in distilled water as a last step?
The q tip does not leave hairlines, been using them for 20 years. You never bare down on a coin, even with your shirt, it's the method.
I used Qtip on this coin ruclips.net/video/NQaOgR78cyo/видео.html
Not true unless it's a proof silver. I check under a microscope.
@@PRS-qh5jf Yes.
@@CoinHELPu Love your content! I would not trust a qtip I know if you roll it it shouldn't leave hairlines. But sometimes it does. I have an Au/BU type set. My 1838 Ms 64 raw capped bust quarter (its gorgeous!) got a bath. Not taking any chances with a qtip.
You help me out in more ways then you know sir . thanks for making your videos not only educational,, they are also short sweet to the point but most importantly they are enjoyable or kinda fun to me watch.. you are the only teacher so far in my life whose class I've never fallen asleep in lol 😎😎😎..
I have soaked almost 50 coins in acetone, then sent them to NGC and PCGS and received the grade. Acetone, unless you scratch the coin in the process, will NOT result in a cleaned/details grade. Period, end of story...first hand experience.
Would it work okay on proof coins with light green pvc residue on them?just dunk em carefully for a few secs? 👍
@@cototp From everything I ever read it’s OK. Just don’t rub it with anything. Pat with a soft cloth or let air dry.
did you rinse it with destilled water? I like to try it with a capped bust half dollar but not sure if just the bath will do it or if I should use the rubber gloves and massage the coin lol
I just dipped a few and it didn’t change the coins appearance. What it did was remove some glue and I used a Q tip.
Explain please
Thank you Daniel. I have been looking at tape on a 1922 Peace dollar since 1984, (I was 5 years old, dad had this coin now its mine) but I've been thinking about this for a few years now & Working at Ace Hardware I see acetone everyday, think I will try this.
I've worked with Acetone for a good chunk of my working career, it is an excellent cleaner for removing grease and it will damage many plastics. I used it as a degreaser and for removing flux residue after soldering being careful because it will damage the protective plastic coating on circuit boards. Will not damage metals. I enjoy your videos, they are always informative, thanks.
It's used a lot on military aircraft too
@@paulbruney1704 Most of my career work was on Military aircraft! Also Gulfstream G550 fuel boost pumps
@@paulbruney1704 myself too on civil and military 😊
Cleaning Coins is simple... Don't damage the surface of the coin, just remove what's on the surface.
Thanks for your tips.
Cleaning coins is for FOOLS!
@@michaellooney1089 To each it's own. Do what you want and Live and let live.
@@shekatagani You obviously know a lot about coins...
@@shekatagani Are you taking the hobby seriously??
Hi Daniel! I bought a Morgan from a bargain bin that was in a display. The reverse hade a layer of that old hard glue. I got it all off by soaking in hot water! Reverse is now BU! 😁. Cheers, Brother!
I have absolutely no problem's with acetone being used on a person's coins for their private collection trying to clean sticky soda spilt on it or maybe some glue. This is the correct way to remove such stuff like that. It's when people that are not educated in what to use is when there's a problem. People that see a old cent or other copper coin with sticky stuff like spilt soda or glue and they don't educate themselves before hand on what is and what isn't safe to use on a copper cent or copper plated for that matter and start picking up ketchup or heck even Coca-Cola the list goes on and on and the next thing they know they have a pink not copper but pink ruined cent that may or may not be valuable before they try to remove what they took off. I am glad you made this video to try to educate collector's of what is safe without a doubt. Great video!
We've used acetone on copper coins with the green cancer growing on it. Corrosion needs to be stopped! So cleaning in this situation is better than letting it continue.
If it's a glue-based adhesive use Naptha. It's similar to acetone in that it's volatile and evaporates easily, but it works faster than acetone on glues, tapes or anything that's sticky. And I recommend using solvent resistant gloves whenever you use acetone, naptha or heptane to remove sticky substances.
Nice instructional video , I happen to place all my Raw coins in acetone before I transfer them to 2X2 regardless if they are BU or VF doesn’t matter I soak them in clean acetone to remove finger oils and dirt or dust by whom ever owned the coin before I purchased it … I’ve left coin soak in acetone for a whole week with no problems … one thing I do like to do sometimes is I’ll heat up Distilled water (let it cool down a little) put the coin in heated water for 10 minutes or so (not scalding hot water!) then I transfer it to acetone bath let it soak for as long as it needs the heat help loosen up dirt or grime on old coins … as for copper same could be said as well … I also soaked copper coins in heated olive oil as well but it took long time to remove some of the gunk on copper coins
Thank you so much for sharing this information. When it comes right down to it, it's a choice. And i've been learning all I can in order to make an informed decision. Some of my coins are so bad, cleaning them is the only way I can see what I have. And let me say this laughingly. I get so irritated sometimes to see what is underneath that I don't care if the coins value is affected. Knowing the answer for my own amusement and education was worth it. Again, thank you very much for all your insight.
Thank you but the comment section is not for asking advice on cleaning your coins.
i know were your coming from ! same with me
I give every coin I send to NGC an acetone bath first to avoid any problems with PVC, never had any problems. Usually gives my 19th century silver a better shine before encapsulation.
Hey Daniel, after seeing this, I had some coins which I was thinking I'd test on. I had bought a cull roll of V nickels....they had all sorts of issues, however there was an 1883 (no cents) where the date looked near pristine, as did the denticles I could make out. I used the qtip method you demonstrated here....What I revealed on this coin was very sharp detail, Id say up to AU details, maybe slightly more. While its still discolored (these coins had to be stored in the most awful of ways) I was able to remove enough to where looking through a loop shows all detail, a beautiful complete Liberty, and almost all hair detail is intact.....The denticles look mint state. Of course doing this (I wrote "acetone" on the flip) isn't going to do anything for its value however, Im glad I did this, for if I didnt, I wouldnt have been able to see just how high quality and out of circulation the coin always was....and it didn't seem to really harm the coin...it just removed what it could. Thanks for this video.
Having worked in a laboratory for decades and used acetone on all kinds of aerospace components that are used subsequently in aircraft engines I can say that from my perspective acetone is ok to use on most materials. However, if you choose to do it, as Daniel says, its you own risk.
Thanks for sharing your guinea pigs! I know acetone causes toning to bronze and copper. I would be er use acetone on cents.
No it does not, acetone doesn’t do anything to copper, that’s MS70. Acetone cannot harm a coin.
@@CoinHELPu I stand corrected
Thanks DANIEL.I needed this info.
Great video and information as always! Have a great day Sir Daniel!
Great video Daniel I would clean my Lincoln cents because they came from the bank and coin machines where people bring them in and dump them in coin machines and God only knows the percentage of cup holder coins, art project coins , glues and nail polish ,gum,all sorts of gunk . I don't care about value it's my collection I just want to be able to see what ever details are left on them.
Danielle, have you ever soaked/submerged a coin in acetone? Is that another method?
Yes I have and it’s not better for removing tape
Interesting, I've been wondering about this. Used acetone when I use to do silk screening. It literally freezes and knocks off ink that you didn't want to get on a shirt. Seems it works similar with coins. Good to know and thank you for sharing.
You are absolutely amazing Dan 🙋♀️
I once had an early Durango Mint 8 reale coin...i think the population on this was like 40-60 pieces, and it was either an 1823 or 1824..early Mexico Federal issue. It was in fantastic condition except that it had been glued into a belt buckle with epoxy at some point of its life. I struggled for about 6 weeks trying to figure out how to remove the epoxy. I finally realized that since olive oil is safe for use on copper and silver coins, then hot olive oil must also be safe. I heated olive oil in a stainless steel pan until it was very hot. When i dropoed that coin into the hot oil, the epoxy disaapeared immediately and the coin took on a very even light toning.
For whatever reason it seemed to add visual depth to the copper penny. I can see why, on a cleaned coin, it is cleaning old abrasion's which have dulled over time. The acetone cleans up those abrasions and makes them pop, but there is no other way to get old contaminates off. Judgement call. Thanks
My favorite coin in my collection is an 1880 young head shilling I got back in like 2002. I call it my jury duty coin because I used the money Arizona paid me back for the gas mileage for 2 days of jury duty to buy the coin lol. It was in a flip, with some random company's insert along with claiming it was BU, and tbh, it looks it to me. However, I forgot it in the flip for years, and by the time I put it into a better holder, it feels like it has this off color to it in certain angles of the light. I don't plan on ever getting rid of the coin, but would one day love to have it put in a PCGS holder, and am afraid that the tiny glint of color I see at those certain angles is what they call PVC residue, or damage.
Don't bother with that PCGS 'slabbing' crap, they are just a rip-off, and use fantasy grades! I'd NEVER use them. I own a superb 1865 Victoria Shilling (die no 11), which has beautiful toning, and will NEVER clean it in any way!! I also own a superb 1824 George IV Shilling, in even better condition, with excellent blue toning.
Acetone is something I would never have thought of, on my own. I've had some interesting results using lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol, but have never experimented with anything beyond nickles.
Thank you for showing us the method you use on YOUR coins.
Thank u for this video, I have wondered about this.. I won’t do this unless I can’t fuck it up anymore than it is already.
Thank you. I've been wondering how and what to use. May not be very exciting, but sometime something like your video is exactly what we are looking for. Again thanks
Acetone is non reactive to metals used in numismatics. I have soaked coins in acetone for a couple of weeks before trying to remove some sort of gunk and it didn't harm them at all. Come to find out, all I needed was distilled water because acetone doesn't remove sugar based contaminates.
Great point! Distilled water should be considered the default solvent for numismatists. Assuming it is gently patted dry immediately after use (ideally with a semi-absorbent single-use lab wipe) I can’t imagine DI damaging a coin.
@timstroud2112 @@gregm8522 Appreciate these comments. About to soak some coins in distilled water
I've felt that a coin should never be messed with, unless it has PVC damage or old tape residue. Great video
Acetone removes PVC residue from silver coins.
I have used it on mint state silver coins with good result when rinsed completely with pure alcohol, then distilled water afterward. I do not rub a mint state coin with a Q-tip or anything else as the 'mint luster' is very fragile. Just soak, roll, pat, or dab carefully. Notice the dollar that Dan cleaned on the video was a circulated coin and that he advised leaving the second dollar alone.
Copper and copper nickel coins are difficult to clean by any means without leaving an 'unnatural' color. They may look fine immediately after using acetone but retone poorly to an 'off' color over time.
Experiment with coins of little or no value. Let them 'season' for several months after treatment and look at them again, then ask yourself if a better coin really 'needs' the same treatment. You can't go back afterward.
Conversely, 'green slime' residue from PVC is corrosive and will damage coins if not removed.
@@-oiiio-3993 I agree with your assessment and your technique. I will never touch an uncirculated coin with a Q-Tip - ruined a couple beautiful Morgans that way. I wouldn’t use nail polish remover as a source of acetone - too unrefined, leaves residues if left to dry. I prefer industrial grade, or better yet, reagent grade if available.
@@linneisenhower2571
Once bitten, twice shy.
lol... you don't mind dirt/scum on your coins eh?
toothpaste sans flouride is the way to go@@linneisenhower2571
Would that leave scratch marks that make them graded Genuine " cleaned"?
I would think so. Especially on a mint state coin.
It doesn't scratch the coin. I used a q tip on this coin in this video, but I am not telling other people to do what I do. I have over 20 years experience with restoring coins. ruclips.net/video/NQaOgR78cyo/видео.html
The early Photograde books (I have a copy from the 60s) recommended that collectors lacquer their coins to protect them. Basically you eould paint your coin with clear nail polish and then remove it with acetone later. Apparently this did work to keep some early Lincoln cents full red, but I sure wouldn't try that.
It works but I don’t recommend
I actually have found some cents that still have the lacquer on them - and they were old enough to have still turned brown.
Interesting! I inherited a collection with what looks like nail polish on a bunch of coins and I couldn’t figure out why. Fingers crossed that the acetone does the trick.
Thank you Daniel !
Cleaning copper coins with acetone will most certainly change their color. They will show a pinkish color rather than the reddish natural copper color. (Don't believe me? Dip a cheap Lincoln cent proof in an acetone bath.) Cleaning coins with a Q-tip is not a good idea either. First, if you try this with a proof, you will have hairlines. (I know you said you said you do not do this to proofs, but the hairlines are there regardless of proof or business strike status.They may be hard to see but they are there.) Also spot cleaning this way will very often cause streaking due to uneven removal of surface dirt. Acetone will dissolve grease and dirt. Without a full bath, the grease and dirt will be shifted around on the surface of the coin. Yes, some may adhere to the Q-tip, but not all. I have collected and worked with coins for over 55 years now. I have seen about everything that can happen to them. On balance, as you stated, acetone be beneficial. But it is not harmless.
I make my living doing this and sending them off to PCGS, NGC, ANACS and you're not correct on several things above. If you dipped a proof in acetone and it turned pinkish then it was already cleaned. Acetone can't strip the finish of a coin and you can use a soggy qtip on proofs, but you must be careful, but it does not harm the coin. I recommended against it either way. I have video documentation of my efforts to prove all I claim. Acetone did not remove anything of the coin but the glue. I could rub a coin with my finger and move debris around, so that really doesn't mean much and doesn't matter on a coin like in this video. The coin was roached without my treatment. I recommend you look up what chemical reactions acetone has on coins. Acetone does not react with coin metal, it only reacts with surface contaminates and it will remove certain contaminates, but it doesn't react with the metal.
Cleaning Coins is fine if we just remove anything on the surface of the coin, If we can do that without damaging the surface of the coin, That's called "Restoring The coin" Thanks for your tips.
What timing!! I had bought 4 rolls of Kennedy half-dollars, and some idjit had marked several of them with a red sharpie!! Just yesterday I used nail polish remover and a cotton ball to get those ugly red marks off---then just washed the coins in simply soap and water, washing my hands too of course. Thanks for this video.
I bought a set of .680 silver coins (20 Francs Turin), and one of them is stained with what appears to be resin or epoxy. May have been glued into a bezel. Not that I care, as they are not really collectible items. I tried acetone, white spirit, and mineral oil to no avail.
I admit I did not know acidtone would remove glue or tape residue from coins I just find it best if I leave the coin the way it is but that is handy information to know i did however read that a mixture of Hydrogen peroxide and viniger would help clean and bring back some luster but I have never tried or tested this method
Hello Daniel , I might try use that stuff to remove milk spots off some bullion silver, I’ve had a guts full of paying good money for the British mints products just to get ugly milk spots , yeah think I’ll just buy perth mint silver, being that I live in Perth . Good video mate 👍
It will not work
Long ago I worked for Chris Craft building fiberglass boats. We'd wash our hands in Acetone to get the resin off. Never seemed to hurt us. But I was pretty stupid In my youth.
It is an accumulated damage. If you use it once or twice, no problem, but use it many times a day, many days in a row, you will strip the natural oils and moisture from the skin, and end up with hands like mine. Now I use glycerine and lanolin to help my hands retain moisture.
@@jeffreyyoung4104 can confirm it damages after long time, washing my hands after painting with acetone has left my hands like a crocodile.
I think we as women use acetone on our nails to remove nail polish, I just had not thought about trying it on my coins but I do have a couple I will try it on now.
When it comes to silver the only fractional amount to consider is fractions of a kilo. Never fractions of an ounce. Thank you as always Mr. BGM.
Not a lot of people know this but the hand cleansing gels from Covid days were often 50 to 70% Ethanal. Any you have left over is a great cleanser for plastics and metals.,
Acetone is effective in removing fat-soluble substances and adhesives. It has no reactivity with metals.
There's only one problem...
Toning proceeds quickly after washing with acetone
If you do not like toning, put a coin in a solution of a small amount of mineral oil and acetone, take it out, and dry it in the air.
It forms a kind of thin protective film.
Acetone does not cause toning. I proved it in this video and numerous times in hand. You're messing with coins that already have issues and when you expose them to the air the surface could tone, but acetone didn't cause it, it can't cause it.
@@CoinHELPu Absolutly, acetone does not cause toning.
However, if the protective film on the surface disappears after acetone treatment, there is a possibility of accelerating toning. If you want preservation after acetone treatment, I would recommend using a mineral oil solution.
@흰장갑 I rarely ever have a coin tone, usually that means the coin was played with beforehand or cleaned. I usually can tell and don't even mess with coins like this. Not all coins can or should be restored, that's the other part of this most viewers wouldn't understand. Seems you do.
Thank you for the cleaning of coins ,pretty nice job.
I have thousands of cents. Any that are circulated get washed with Dawn dish soap and warm water rubbing between my fingers. Then pat dry on soft towel. Then every one of them gets acetone q-tip treatment over the entire coin. My microscope shows nothing as far as damage.
Exactly.
Thank u so much. I have some that are old an nasty. That will help a lot. Do u grade coins
No I do not
Love the smile . Kinda a duck move lmao I can't believe you did it hahaha
Thanks for the info, I bought a William & Mary Irish copper 1/2d online, but its got Verdigris so I got caught, as its not worth a lot so I can risk it, do you think acetone might work here.
Thanks
Thanks Daniel !
What about Vacuum sealing your coins ?
Great video. Very informative 👍
Thank you very much for sharing.
I have some Morgan dollars and other silver halves and dimes that have developed some black spots that I believe is corrosion, what can I do to remove the spots?
What about steam? Wouldn't that loosen up the glue? And any dirt?
Steam has heat, so no.
@@CoinHELPu Yes - 'steam' will burn the bejesus out of you! Thanks for the warning! 👏🏻👍.
Thank you for saying what you do on your coins I don't really care what happens one way or the other because I have coins that you can't see what they really are so I will take a chance on. Thank you for the honest way you treat us newness! By the way what do you think about my featured coin?
Hello from the great state of Michigan
I've had very good results immersing coppers in near boiling water with a few shavings of Ivory bar soap, rinsing, rinsing, rinsing, and then soaking in an acetone bath. (You need to give the acetone a few minutes to work, especially with tape and glue residue.) But HEAT is a very effective addition to the equation. I have not experimented with hot acetone (as the TPG companies do, I hear) - I don't feel comfortable working with it because it does produce toxic vapors as it is, hence the dip in the scalding water first. Surprising how much gunk and NICOTINE just slides off! And the surface and original skin is not disturbed by this process. DON'T use Dawn or other dish-washing liquid or detergent (sodium carbonate). They have sodium compounds (-carbonate, -sulfate) and their effects on the coin will be apparent.
But it's so very satisfying especially when a spot you think is permanent turns out to be nothing more than axle grease that comes right off onto your Q-tip!
I've also exposed some treacherous disasters with cleaned coins that have been retoned with jeweler's rouge, shoe polish, etc. The coating yields without a fight and you're left with a polished coin so bright it could marshal in a 747! There is no restoring cleaned copper to its original patina, unless you carry it around in your pocket and "circulate" it down a grade or two for the next year - or longer!
Again, another educational and much appreciated video! Thanks!
I would be afraid to heat acetone at all, I would be afraid of a fire.
Is there a way to lighten up a copper cent??
Thankyou for the video Daniel.Good onto if used for the reasons you state, but man what a can of worms.Have a nice holiday. Harry Bond.
Great channel, Daniel! Any tips/suggestions on how to proceed with a sterling medallion (not a coin!) that was stored for about five decades in a foam insert that has disintegrated? Some foam remnants are still attached to the sterling medallion.
Thank You for the information. 👍
Acetone dissolves grease, and oily stains. Acetone is an alcaline, like alcohol, an cannot harm silver. It destroyes plastic however!
oh by the way, i once used brasso on some pennys, well ! they are worth a penny now !!
Very good video Daniel learned alot
will it destroy a nice toning in a roosevelt dime?..is very dirty but it has a nice rainbow toning and i dont want to damage it
I really don't understand how a pure silver coin, which is 99.99% silver, which has been handled by thousands of hands, and what not, can not be cleaned.
Do you use acetone on Sacajawea coins?
Thanks for showing us.
It looks a lot better than it did before.
What will a "cleaned" rating cost you in value?
They’re not cleaned to lose value, so that’s a on issue.
Personally, I don’t like dirty coins, and I also use acetone to to clean a dirty coin if acetone is good for cleaning a Rolex it is it good enough for a coin if a coin has been around since the 1800s, you know that it has been cleaned at one point and if it’s in immaculate condition, that coin has been a safe Queen in some bankers personal collection and not circulated as long as you can read the date of the coin and hasn’t been that worn to me, they’re worth collecting I can live with micro scratches but I don’t like gouging on a coin.
Could I soak coins in water and then use a very soft tooth brush using pure oatmeal soap to clean it some. Not looking for a shine just to take off all those years of being exposed to so many people
What about a ultrasonic bath as it is only water?
If you're going to wash your coins use distilled water regular water has calcium and stuff in it which can leave marks
What your thought of using a jewel sonic cleaner ?
I don't use them, no reason to since my techniques work just fine and are fast.
What about the silver cleaner jewelry stores use Jerry Mcdonogh
Is that first coin an O/CC? The mint mark looked like it could be.
Aside from distilled water for rinsing, acetone is the only liquid I feel comfortable placing onto a silver/nickel coin. (I haven't tried on copper) It breaks up dirt and grime and is completely non-reactive to the coin surface. However, I would use a rolling motion with the Q-tip and not use my fingernail to avoid adding hairline scratches.
Hi Sir...I just heard u mention how the camera likes to zoom in on the background. But u had it zoom right in on the coin. I think this is REALLY an issue with these cameras on our phones...especially my Apple Device! How did u get it to stay zoomed in on the front image (if u dont mind me asking)
I didn't. I edit and let the camera focus.
It's a helpful lesion for me.
I tried acetone on ancient copper coins and it ruins the surface and the patina of some coins!
It can’t, it’s inert to metal. The coins were just dirty and it revealed their already ruined surfaces. I use it on copper all the time.
Thanks for the info and video
I just would like ur opinion on thing I found in one of collection
I have 2006 non magnetic coin Canadian penny but it. Got hung up when stamped I believe this ooin could be worth a lot of money being spent new at this I would like some help on who to send a picture to and contact pls adv asap
Are you using just regular plastic q-tips or the ones made out of wood?
I don't use qtips, I just did this for the video.
I mean the ones that you use in this video @CoinHELPu
@@MegaRaduB1 plastic but I do not recommend
Thank you!
What I like to do is use a soft paint brush and Dawn dish soap and use the soft brush to get into the tiny spots and it seems to do a good job for me? I dont plan on selling any of my coins either. I just have a hard time with using chemicals on my coins? lol
Dawn has chemicals in it.
@@CoinHELPu Yeah just dont think of it as a harsh chemical.
@@billyscgp acetone isn't a harsh chemical and can't hurt silver or copper.
@@CoinHELPu I use to paint Cabinets for Kitchens High end stuff. But the thinners and cleaners acetone that I have used. I know it may just be me and then at the Bakery using caustic cleaners every night. Just leary of putting it on my coins and I know it is safe I was a lead and had to be certified with the chemicals. Lol Have a great day Daniel see you soon Brother.
Nice video thank you for sharing that
People should always get a maintenance safety data sheet on any chemical they want to use
Yeah but do you honestly think people will know what it says let alone read it in the first place?
@@moderndayennui4999 I wish I could tell everyone in the world how important they are! What's sad is I can't get one for nail polish nail polish remover and all the crap my wife and granddaughters put on their bodies. But if you can't start a fire just grab their crap
@@paulbruney1704 oh believe me i know. I read MSDS sheets all the time as a part of my job.
Would a grading service consider using the acetone cleaning the coin
You would have to ask them that.
Hi I have a question thats been bothering me lately..As a holder of a of Morgan dollars coins in the grades MS 62/63 and 64.
I read a comment that saying unless you own Morgans in the 65 and above grade their not going to go up in price and your wasting your time buying them in low grades
Is that true have I wasted my money ?
I value your opinion! Thanks.
Join the coinhelpu community to ask questions about coins. Link is in the description. They will answer
Thanks Dee.👍
@@razzyp3999 If your buying graded Morgans, just buy the highest grade you are comfortable buying that makes you happy. I personally like MS 64 and MS 65 best so that's what I buy!
I keep my coins in Equate pill pouches only one in a pouch is this good or bad.
So, you are saying that acetone itself will not harm a coin. If the coin looks harmed after using acetone then that means it was improperly cleaned before? Correct?
Exactly
THANKS FOR INFO