47 Lincoln, could ths sbe PVC?

[KiloBay]

Hello everyone, I came across this 1947 penny, which I thought was in exceptional condition and is a candidate for grading, but under a closer review there are a couple of spots. I would like to ask for some more shilled options on. The photo lighting is not the best, but there is sort of a light greenish color on these spots. Any advise would be greatly

[KiloBay]

Sorry for the typos but here is a couple of microscope photos that shows the points in question a bit better

[mustbebob]

Those spots could be PVC, but it appears there is also something else (carbon spotting) as well. I would recommend soaking the coin in pure acetone. It will not harm the coin in any way but does remove some sorts of PVC damage. Let me know if it has any effect...OK?

[KiloBay]

Thank you for the input Bob, I am not very experienced with using acetone on coins. How long would you suggest to soak a copper penny?

[mustbebob]

I would suggest a little at a time. I have actually soaked coin for weeks at a time with no effect's on the coin itself. I highlighted the word 'PURE' for a reason. Other ingredients in acetone (like fingernail polish remover) can affect the coins surface. Start with about 30 seconds to a minute and see if the spots fade, move away, or disappear. Do not rub the coin but try to dab the area with a Q-tip or other swab. If after a couple of minutes, nothing changes, the stains are probably permanent. Acetone works great on other things stuck on coins too, such as glue, or other verdigris. Good luck!

[KiloBay]

Awesome. I will get this done as soon as I can and let you know what happens.

Thanks again Bob, much appreciated

[KiloBay]

Hello Bob, my apologies for the delay on this. This is after approximately 45 minutes of acetone soaking. I tried the 30 sec 60 sec and then did longer soaking, using soaked Q-tip to dab the spots after each session.

I greatly appreciate the advice.

Thanks again and until next time, take care

[mustbebob]

Did this help at all, or is the coin permanently damaged?

[MintErrors]

A good article, but I would like to add a few comments about the situation. I noticed it said "pvc" and "acetone". I do know that a lot of third party grading services do use "sniffers" to determine if a coin has been "cleaned" but I do not know for certain that acetone is on that list. The TPG's won't tell what is or isn't on the lists.

I agree with Bob, if you have no recourse to correct a coin, some times it is best to ask an expert like Bob. He know what will work and I appreciate his and all the CONECA staffers who post in here.