Lucite Blocks Threaten 1964 Silver Coins, NGC Regrading Urged

Freeing the Coin by Cracking the Acrylic with a Drill and Screwdriver

A collector has drawn attention by sharing a method for extracting a 1964 Kennedy half dollar that was encased in a triangular acrylic paperweight.

The procedure shared by the poster involves first using a hand drill to make a series of holes along the top and bottom edges of the coin, taking care not to touch it. Next, a channel is cut into the side of the block to connect the holes, and another groove is made to cross the line of holes.

Then, using a screwdriver as a wedge, the acrylic block is tapped lightly with a hammer to apply tension, encouraging it to crack naturally. The collector stresses the importance of not forcing the block open, to avoid damaging the coin. By repeating this process to break the acrylic covering the coin into smaller pieces, the collector reported successfully removing the coin with gloved hands.

Why Remove the Coin? The Community Debates the Pros and Cons

This "rescue operation" sparked a variety of opinions within the community. Some lamented the loss of the original object, with one person commenting, "It was a cool paperweight, and now it's just a common half dollar."

In response, the original poster explained their motivation: "I enjoy it more as a coin than as a paperweight," and "I wanted to experiment to see if I could remove it without damaging the coin." There were also voices of support for the effort, such as, "Better in your hand than trapped in plastic."

Additionally, when some pointed out that the freed coin appeared to have scratches, the poster countered that these were pre-existing die polishing lines, visible even before the coin was encased.

Is Dissolving the Acrylic with Acetone a Practical Method?

As an alternative to physical destruction, several participants suggested dissolving the acrylic with acetone. While pure acetone is not known to harm metal coins, this method appears to have significant challenges.

One participant who had previously tried acetone shared their experience, calling it "a very slow and messy process."

The original poster also conducted an experiment with the remaining acrylic fragments. After placing the acrylic in a jar of acetone, they reported that after several hours it had become "a semi-solid ball of plastic goo floating in a sticky, nasty syrup," rendering the jar unusable. They concluded, "I would not use acetone to get a coin out of an acrylic paperweight."

Until now, it was widely believed that coins encased in resin were either impossible to remove or would be damaged in the process. This demonstration serves as an example showing that, with a careful procedure, it may be possible to free a coin using physical methods.