A protective, sacrificial, water-reversible, coating composition for the protection of substrates comprised of water, a volatile base, a film-forming acrylic polymer in a water dispersion form, a compatabilizing polymer, specifically poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), a poly acidic polymer (pH specific in terms of its solubility), wherein said coating is both water applied and water reversible or re-soluble under specific pH conditions.