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Acid Treated Buffalo Nickels

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Author Previous TopicReplies: 12 / Views: 969Next Topic  
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Humanist1287's Avatar
United States
241 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2025  06:38 am Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add Humanist1287 to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
So I see pretty decent deals on "acid treated," Buffalo nickels sometimes on ebay.

Is it worth it to purchase these? How can we know that the date they are advertising is actually true?
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Spence's Avatar
United States
33019 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2025  06:46 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Spence to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Well it is definitely caveat emptor. As to the value, I think that acid-etched Buffalo nickels should be priced similarly to those who are so worn as to be undated--in other words they should be super-cheap. If you have the cash, consider buying fewer coins, but of higher quality.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb

"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
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Humanist1287's Avatar
United States
241 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2025  06:50 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Humanist1287 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Yeah, I don't have the cash. Lol.

The prospect of getting many Buffalo nickels from the teens for under 20 dollars is pretty tempting. I don't mind there not being a date.
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DOCC's Avatar
United States
1234 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2025  09:12 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add DOCC to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Consider bulk 'undated' Buffalos. You can usually pick up for 50cents or less per. I say this because a lot of bulk sellers don't put big effort into dating them. Black lights and a good scope can sometimes reveal a date fairly easy.
I swing a metal detector and have a knack for finding dirty old coins.
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Bump111's Avatar
United States
3137 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2025  09:17 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Bump111 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Most folks steer clear of acid-dated Buffalo nickels unless it is a tough date/mm combo and is really inexpensive. I've found that if you purchase an old Whitman folder, there will sometimes be a couple of them in those.
"Nummi rari mira sunt, si sumptus ferre potes." - Christophorus filius Scotiae
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Humanist1287's Avatar
United States
241 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2025  09:46 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Humanist1287 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I was able to find a 1914-D for 6.00 dollars. Evidently, they are normally kind of a key date and can be quite expensive? Hell, I'll take an acid treated one for 6.00 dollars.

I suppose I'll look into some "undated," Buffalo nickels in the future. At least it actually shows what the day is however. I'd rather pay a teeny bit more for something that I know the date of for piece of mind. Many of the ones I purchased were only a dollar. I don't really have the means to find the dates myself, or to even bother honestly. Lol.

A good portion of the Buffalo nickels I have are already pretty worn as well anyways. Some of them the only way I know what the date/mm are is from the writing that I have on the 2x2 that it's in.
Edited by Humanist1287
01/16/2025 09:48 am
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jbuck's Avatar
United States
162946 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2025  11:19 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
I was able to find a 1914-D for 6.00 dollars. Evidently, they are normally kind of a key date and can be quite expensive?
Yes. Mine was $95!
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Marve65's Avatar
United States
5617 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2025  8:34 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Marve65 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Collect what you want - if you want to fill up a Whitman album with acid dates then have at it! It's fun to collect in any way possible.
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Greasy Fingers's Avatar
United States
6057 Posts
 Posted 01/17/2025  12:10 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Greasy Fingers to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy no=date Buffs and acid treat them yourself ?
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Sap's Avatar
Australia
16296 Posts
 Posted 01/17/2025  12:35 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Sap to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Cheaper, yes, but (a) it would be a gamble as to what you get. Some people love the thrill of the gambling, other people would prefer to pay extra so they don't have to gamble.

And (b), you are also paying for the time needed to do the acid-treating, the chemicals, and the expertise and practice to do it successfully with minimal damage to the rest of the coin. If your time is more valuable to you than your money, or you simply don't trust yourself with corrosive chemicals, then let someone else do the work for you.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Humanist1287's Avatar
United States
241 Posts
 Posted 01/19/2025  7:01 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Humanist1287 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Yeah, my time is more valuable. Time is something that I don't really have.
I am guessing that these coins be under the "ruined," category. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't be so cheap.

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Conder101's Avatar
United States
17836 Posts
 Posted 04/16/2025  7:57 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Conder101 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
if you want to fill up a Whitman album with acid dates then have at it!

It can also be quite a challenge as well. The key dates will still be difficult to come by as will the late dates in the set because most of them didn't circulate long enough to become dateless. Finding an acid date 1938 D would probably be nearly impossible.
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