PVC residue removal with acetone

[Ken W2]

I rarely clean silver coins, but this Octavian is an exception. Upon in hand inspection this coin had a grayish haze over the entire surface with just a hint of green in some areas, and on close inspection there were a few small patches or spots of light green deposits. After reading some posts here and elsewhere I was positive this was PVC residue and determined to attempt removal with acetone. Soaks of just 15 minutes cut most of the haze. Ultimately a soak of two hours and light brushing with a cut down soft bristle brush removed the spots. Contrary to some posts, I do think I lost some of the lighter toning, but also think appearance is improved and really had no choice but to remove the PVC residue. Obviously, before on top; after below.

[Mat]

I put new silvers in acetone all the time. I removes PVC, hand oils and whatever else. Sometimes, there is no change, often times, it's am improvement, like your coin is.

[Curtis JJ]

I am often amazed by how quickly and thoroughly acetone works on PVC residue. The last two times I did it was on small Greek fractions, and the green came off literally within seconds, without even rubbing.

(On this coin it was actually much worse than this photo shows: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=174778 ; same here, although the photo shows some of it on the reverse: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=181808. Note: Those are the old photos, I need to post the "after" photos to gallery when I can.)

I also just used acetone on a large bronze that I'll post properly later on. Here's Kunker's image on ACSearch: Hadrian AE Drachm from Alexandria. There was a glob of waxy gunk on Hadrian's neck. (The coin was ex-Dattari, so at first I thought it was Dattari's old casting way from 1901 -- in which case I'd have probably left it on for posterity -- but it wasn't there in a 1974 photo.) That stuff came off very easily with acetone on a cotton swab (and gentle probing with a toothpick), as well as a thin translucent waxy layer all over the obverse. It was a noticeable improvement to my eye (although my photography isn't as good, so it's not obvious below).

[Ken W2]

Curtis:  I think that's a great improvement.  The detracting blob is gone and the richness of the color just pops now.

[Virgil H]

Very interesting. Ken, I think your coin looks better in the after picture, although I also like the before. I can't really see where the PVC is. Curtis JJ, Your also looks better in the after. Part of that is getting rid of the blob, the other is it seems the acetone makes the coin more shiny. Or did you put Ron Wax on it? I have mixed feelings about a coin being shiny versus the more matt look. Ren wax aside, it is also interesting how the surfaces of coins come down to us over the years, as well as what happens when we clean them.

Virgil