PVC residue on coins: value affected?

I have a lot of very valuable coins from my grandfather, a lot of which have green residue from the PVC holders the coins have been in for decades.

I'm planning to clean them using the acetone method (very carefully of course) and putting them in non-PVC holders. Still, I assume that any coin dealer would be able to detect even the smallest bit of residue left with a magnifying glass. Would they even be willing to buy the coins in that case? If so, how would this affect the value, even if the coins are in good condition?

 

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Acetone and a Q-Tip should remove all the PVC.
The problem will be how much etching of the surfaces has occurred.

 

Thanks, at least it will protect the coins from further damage I guess. Since I will keep them for another decade or two, it would be stupid to not do anything, right?

To give an example of what I'm facing here:

 

I agree. Every coin will be different. Some will not show any problems and others will.

 

Thanks, I'll hope for the best.

For removing the coins from the acetone, what kind of gloves are recommended? Are natural rubber/latex gloves okay if I replace them frequently? The only better option would be butyl.

 

I suppose if you had lots of coins to clean, you would want to use gloves. I've never bothered. Acetone evaporates so quickly I doubt much of it gets under your skin. I've only cleaned one coin at a time and never bothered with gloves. Here's a before and after pic of one of my acetone jobs...

 

I don't use gloves or get my fingers in it very much.
I use shot glasses the right size where only the edges of the coin touch the glass and cover it with a small glass lens from an old flashlight. After the bath I'll slide the lens over enough to pour off the acetone but not allow the coin to fall out.
Next you just let the coin slide out on a cloth.
Next I clean and dry the glass and do it again with fresh acetone. Two or three baths of about an hour each should do it. Longer can't hurt anything. This takes very little acetone per bath and cuts down on the fire and breathing hazards.

I'm not a fan of using anything to rub the coin. Some folks like to rinse the coin after each bath with water but I only use water after the first bath. This method has worked well for me.

 

You may want to check this out
http://www.encasedcollectorsinternational.org/pvc.htm

 

Don't have fingernail polish on. My grandmother, mother, wife, and daughter have all used acetone to remove their fingernail polish. It does not work well trough gloves. And, BTW, the only time your body is acetone free is long after you die. It is a natural product of human life. Prolonged exposure may tend to defat your skin, but it is really considered safe for smaller amounts.

 

It would be cool if you took before and after images. Nice job of showing the PVC in your image.

 

Show us some before and after pics . Hope the coins are still nice .

 

Can acetone be used on nickel coins? I know it's risky to use on copper ones since it might affect the color, and since "nickel" coins are 75% copper...

 

I just started a couple days ago. I put a little acetone in 3 shot glasses to treat 3 coins at a time. I let it sit for 1 to a couple hours, then I put the coin in another shot glass with some fresh acetone for about 5-10 minutes. After that I put it in a glass with distilled water and let it air dry. Not sure if the water is really necessary though.

When it's dry I put in a Hartberger self adhesive coin holder. The coin holder goes into a plastic coin page which contains no PVC.

Here's the same coin I posted before after the acetone bath (click for larger image). Could anyone tell me which grade this coin is? I'm not very familiar with the grading scale.

 

I'd call that VF although it is a bit marginal.

 

What makes it appear to have been harshly cleaned?