Acetone/Vinegar

Thanks BadThad. Interesting. What about using muriatic acid on dateless silver?
This cleaning/restoration question needs to be directed.

doesn't ruin the copper in relation to something like vinegar or dipping it. And I said completely. As in, it may take off some surface, but is not going to melt it down to slag. I have seen plenty of olive oiled pennies that looked a lot bettr than their grimey verdigris caked selves prior to treatment.

Well it is 2 weeks so I pulled the nickels with easy to read dates. 23 nickels so far, as follows:

1914-2
1914S-1
1915-1
1915S-1
1916-5
1916D-1
1916S-1
1917-1
1917D-1
1917S-1
1918-6
1920-2

Another 17 are still soaking. I'll keep them in for another week. I expect a third to a half to have dates which can be read (some already do, but I'm not sure about a 1916 or 1918 etc...). Some clearly will not be able to be read.

I'll get some pics up over the weekend so you can see what the overall look is for these nickels that were soaked for 2 weeks in white vinegar.

The interesting history about this roll is quite obvious. 90 years ago somebody put a bunch of dateless nickels aside. At some point they got rolled (I wonder if this was the only roll). They turned up in 2012 at a garage sale. I'm sure these coins were with the owner of that house for a long time, since he was "very senior".

I will now take a look at those early date coins for over-dates and double-dies.

Normally I would agree, but what are the chances of getting every date between 1914 and 1920 of dateless coins in the 30's or 40's in one roll? I guess it's possible 10 or 20 years later to have only those years of worn coins because they were well circulated, and that's what you would find in your change as worn. The ones still in the vinegar are all in the teens too. However, I will never be able to take a date on a few of them unless I try some other way. Perhaps they are after 1920. Who knows.
I didn't think of taking before pics as they were fairly worn Buffalo nickels and I think everyone knows what those look like. I should have done it to be more thorough.

Thanks brad and sjh for all the reponses in this topic as they have been very informative to a newbie as myself. I have been collecting for some time but have never tried anything on cleaning otter than a little liquid soap and a quick rinse. Now I know that there are other options out there.

Which is exactly why I said just use Nic A Date.

Keep the Comments coming this should be informative to all of us. Thank you All

Monkeyman67 I would try the Vinegar on a newer penny and put a piece of tape on it leave it set a bit and then try the vinegar for 30 seconds or so(maybe a piece of duck tape that is more sticky and will leave residue for sure). And try the same with Acetone. Coins that I have done with mint luster have come out looking natural in vinegar but I have never used coins that I really save in my collection except 1 penny in one of my albums and I have noted that I used vinegar to remove some tar. Best of Luck to you in whatever you decide.