Acid Restored Dates

The acids used on the 35%nickel nickels will not have the same effect on silver coins. I do believe that I have read that the Nic-A-Date stuff will leave a nice brown stain on your silver quarters.

Ok, some of the things written in this post are being taken a little too seriously. No one is suggesting with a straight face that you should use aqua regia(or any other concentrated acid) on coins as that would be a dangerous and destructive idea. If you are not familar with the handling, properties, and dangers of acids, then odds are you will have no idea what aqua regia is, how to make it, or how to obtain it so the joke is harmless. I just found it a little silly to suggest being careful of your jewelry when handling aqua regia as proper handling dictates a complete covering of personal protective equipment so jewlery exposure is a moot point.

toast-
as to your original question, nic-a-date isn't an ideal chemical to use since it damages the coin but the alternative is dateless buffalos. I think the going rate for dateless buffalos is 10 cents but nic-a-dated branch mints would have to be worth more than that. Since most of the early branch mint buffalos have decent value even in low-end grades, it could be worth it to try and get a space filler that has been nic-a-dated. I don't think that it is worth it to nic-a-date Philly buffs since they are plentiful and inexpensive in low grades. Nic-a-date comes in a 1.25oz dropper type bottle and is generally safe to handle if you abide by the manufacturer's instructions. I do not know the exact composition of nic-a-date but it is probably a trade secret. It is formulated specifically for etching the surface of a coin to bring out detail and is probably the best, most cost-effective way(avg. price is ~$4-5) of doing that and is alot safer than experimenting with acids of various chemical compositions

My dateless nickel has been soaking in the muriatic acid for about 7 hours now. The part of the nickel that isn't covered in acid anymore is now covered with a turquoise crust, and the date has still failed to appear.

Also, any way to restore the date on a dateless Indian Head that I have? It's worn almost completely smooth.

I just got my nickel and rubbed off the layer of turquoise stuff that had completely taken it over. After removing the turquoise stuff I noticed that the date was 1916, meaning in Good the coin was worth $5. Of course, it's not worth that now, but it's still pretty cool to know. Thanks for the Muriatic acid suggestion.

biokemist6 is right. It is silly to compare Nic-A-Date to Hydroflouric Acid (which is the acid used to etch glass and is very dangerous). The rate at which acid or bases react with skin is based on concentration, temperature, and contact time (dead skin layers act as a protective measure).

As said, it's probably most cost effective to just stick with the Nic-A-Date as I think it is a colloid/gel which makes it much easier to use only on the date area and not the entire coin.

Turning a dateless buffalo into a 1916 is always a pleasant surprise and increases the value of the coin. Make sure all muratic acid has been properly rinsed off to prevent further changes in the appearance of the coin.

I always use just straight vinegar on my liberty nickles. Took four days, but I turned a lump of metal into a 1885!!

I signed up for this forum just now so that I can ask questions about restored dates on Buffalo nickels. I recently aquired several nickels that had this done on them and I have to say that the person did a nice job. It is slightly noticeable that something was done so I am sure that most coin graders would notice this.

The reason I bought some of these nickels is because I got some dates that I thought were nice and I got them at a very low price. I got a 1917D 1918D and 1919D and a 1913 D Var 2 that would be in VG-12 if you look at the coin and ignore the acid date (Which is quite well done and barely noticeable. This coin would be worth $70-$110 if it were a not a restored coin. I got all of these coins at what seems to be about 10% cost of the book value of G-4 coins.

So how much are these worth? I know that I will buy some if I know that it will fill some holes for me. It there is a market out there for it then there will be a value to these coins. I am too old and not rich enough to ever fill out my book so I will get these for my own pleasure. If some collectors deem them worthless, then so be it. There will be a market for these coins as long as people will buy them. I can afford to pay $40-$50 for a restored 1937D Three-legged buffalo but I can't afford the $800-$1400 I see them going for on ebay. So even if collectors deem these worthless, with coin collecting having a recent comeback, I think there will be a market for them.

In all honesty, I don't see why they shouldn't have decent value, if only a fraction of book value, if the date is restored properly and professionally. It's still a coin from that mint in that year. But then, I'm just a consumer and not a pro.

His name was steve. I've noticed several who have a business selling restored dates, on both the Buffalo nickel and the liberty half dollar. I've searched the net and just can't find much on it. In my opinion, just to be so worn that the date comes off would make it no better than a G4-6.