Cleaned? 1942 Nickel With Dark Tone, Iridescent Gleam.

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Author	Replies: 8 / Views: 1,104
Brandmeister Pillar of the Community United States 6448 Posts	Posted 05/31/2025 8:50 pm I bought this off an ebay auction a few days ago. The rims, steps, and lack of Die Deterioration made me suspect that it's a proof. In hand, the coin has a smoky, shadowy appearance. When angled, it has a lot of rainbow toning, almost like oil on water. Overall, the coin has a dark, slightly dull look. The nickel is currently soaking in acetone, but it appears to be having no effect. Is this the result of cleaning? Smoke exposure? Surface contaminants? If yes, is there anything to be done about it? Toning aside, the coin features are razor sharp. Seller's pics for now, until I take it out of the acetone tomorrow. Report this Post to the Staff

Errers and Varietys Bedrock of the Community United States 73575 Posts	Posted 05/31/2025 9:31 pm Doesn't look cleaned to me. Maybe it's an Improper Alloy Mixing issue? Errers and Varietys. Report this Post to the Staff
echidna Pillar of the Community Australia 599 Posts	Posted 05/31/2025 10:44 pm Improper mix Watch your top knot Report this Post to the Staff
nickelsearcher Moderator United States 15381 Posts	Posted 06/01/2025 05:38 am I don't see any obvious signs of cleaning in that photo. Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.art Report this Post to the Staff
Brandmeister Pillar of the Community United States 6448 Posts	Posted 06/01/2025 09:33 am I will get some pictures posted this afternoon. Maybe cleaning is the wrong term to use. I agree there are no hairlines. I was thinking more along the lines that the coin was dipped in something that dulled the luster. Like perhaps there was PVC on the surface, so a chemical was applied to remedy the issue. Report this Post to the Staff
Brandmeister Pillar of the Community United States 6448 Posts	Posted 06/01/2025 10:19 am Well, pulled it out of the acetone. Zero change after 16 hours probably says it isn't going to change no matter how long I leave it in. I definitely think it's a proof; there are not many 1942 nickels with six full steps in a sharp box. I know it looks bright in the axial box, but it is getting blasted by a daylight bulb from six inches away. The last image is a new 2023-P nickel, this nickel, and a 1976-S proof Kennedy in indirect sunlight. Looking at the coin straight on, it just has a dead gray appearance. Report this Post to the Staff
mikev50 Pillar of the Community United States 1861 Posts	Posted 06/01/2025 1:55 pm very nice coin---imo--proof Report this Post to the Staff
BadThad Bedrock of the Community United States 19930 Posts	Posted 06/08/2025 2:56 pm Improper alloy mix. I'm no expert of nickels but I'm surprised to see it on a proof coin. Quote: In 1942, the Mint made Jefferson nickels out of two different compositions. Those made early in the year contained pure Nickel. Those made later in the year consisted of an alloy where the Nickel was removed completely and replaced (in part) by silver. The reason for the replacement was because of the need for Nickel by the military in World War II. The colors of the two alloys are similar, but different enough that the coins can be told apart by the naked eye. The silver alloy is a brighter white color when the coins are new. When worn, the silver alloy takes on a greenish color. However, just to make it easy to tell the coins apart, the Mints placed large mintmarks on the reverse of the coins, just above the dome of Monticello. This was the first appearance of a "P" mintmark on any US coin. Lincoln Cent Lover! VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/ Report this Post to the Staff
BadThad Bedrock of the Community United States 19930 Posts	Posted 06/08/2025 3:02 pm You made me go read. lol Appears to be an impaired, type 1 proof. It has a few dings that are indicative of seeing some light circulation. Lincoln Cent Lover! VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/ Report this Post to the Staff
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