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 Replies: 24 / Views: 13,076 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2602 Posts |
I have a large number (>80) of dateless silver coins- some Walking Liberty halves, a few Barber coins, and mostly Standing Liberty quarters. I've held onto them, hoping someday I could learn a way to restore the dates on them, especially the quarters, as I know for sure I have a 17 T1 (no stars on back)- could also be an unlikely 16, though. Has anyone here found a decent way to restore dates to dateless silver pieces? I know that the method used for restoring dates to Buffalo nickels doesn't work on silver due to different metal content. I am fully aware of the caustic issues surrounding use of chemicals and I am always very careful with the strong acids/bases, etc. I wear gloves and protective eye wear. I also am aware that a restored date coin has very little value- but hey, a restored date is worth far more to me than a dateless coin. I also think it is likely that I have quite a few 1917-24 Standing Liberty quarters which I could use as fillers until I have money to buy better grades. I have tried several strong and weak acids, formaldehyde, potassium or sodium hydroxide and others, but so far no luck. I've also tried using high powered magnification (40x), but you can't tell anything. If you know of a way, please help! Edited by mycrob
01/10/2008 1:03 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
954 Posts |
No way that I have ever heard of.....
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1130 Posts |
I really don't know how you can bring back metal that has been worn off in circulation. IMO, you are better off just selling the coins for their silver content and getting coins that have a defined date.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
any form of acid that will eat away at silver will bring back dates on silver coins because the date part will be harder than the surrounding metal but I have no idea what type of acid you could use to do it but it shouldn't be hard to find out
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1130 Posts |
Bryan - I never knew they used a different metal for the dates. I always thought they used a metal planchet and form the image from a die under pressure, so the coin would have the same composition throughout, just that some surfaces are raised due to the die patterns.
Edited by 1sikevo
01/06/2008 4:24 pm
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Valued Member
United States
499 Posts |
1sikevo... they don't use different metals but the density is different due to different rates of compression when struck due to different depths in the die.
Richard
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Valued Member
United States
187 Posts |
I'm pretty sure you can get what you need to 'melt' the metal around where the date has worn off. Check the coin supplies places....nic-a-date
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Pillar of the Community
United States
581 Posts |
I'm pretty sure there is nothing that will let you get the date back.
Why?
Because I haven't seen any on e-bay!!
Seriously, it doesn't exist.
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Moderator
 United States
6563 Posts |
Even if there were a way to do so...it would negate any type of numismatic value the coin would have anyways. If the coins date is not readable it most often isn't worth anything more then melt.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
764 Posts |
an auric or platinum acid would work but would probably not be worth the price of the chemicals to see a date on a simple quarter.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
It is a shame but as noted true. If you were able to bring back the date using an acid it would leave a stain at that spot also. Usually a coin that has the date completely worn off is also pretty badly worn all over. This excessive wear would make the coin almost worthless as a numismatic value so any date attempt to restore would be more costlier than the coin.
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New Member
United States
34 Posts |
I think that the OP just wants to see what the date is. he's not interested in value. I'm in the same shoes. I have 4 SLQ with "S" mints on them and I would just like to see what they are. So even if I use some kind of acid, at least I know what date it is and my quarter is still worth $2.75 (or whatever spot silver is at the time).
Edit: It may cost a few bucks but to me it would be worth it just to know. I mean I throw away lots of bucks doing worthless things lots of times and/or giving my wife money for useless shopping. Its not like I HAVE to make a profit or avoid a loss. Sometimes satifying curiosity is worth a few bucks, especially since these bucks now days are near worthless (or at least getting closer and closer to worthless).
Edited by paland
01/07/2008 5:25 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2602 Posts |
I like what you said paland. I don't really care if it is worthless buillion after restoring the date- and it is possible with the number of dateless SLQs I have- that I may have a semi-key or a key- many of mine have D or S mint marks on them. I could at least fill the holes in my SLQ folder until I have money to buy dated specimens.
So far, there doesn't seem to be anyone who has a tried and true way to restore dates to silver consistently.
I've tried formaldehyde mixed with strong base (sodium or potassium hydroxide) and it does lift off a small amount of the silver, so I think I'm getting closer to landing on something that will work. If left for a short period of time (seconds), no residue remains. If left for a longer time (minutes), an orange hue develops. Yeah, yeah, I know- formaldehyde is a carcinogen. I'm being very careful.
Edited by mycrob
01/11/2008 11:22 am
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Valued Member
United States
280 Posts |
The technique that works with nickels does not apply to silver. With nickels, the metal is slightly compressible. Silver does not have the same properties. I have heard about the potential for x-ray's to determine the date. I guess if some college kid ever had the time and access to the right equipment (say in the field of anthropology) to do the experiments and write up a paper, it may be possible to get TPG's to start doing it and slabbing the coins with a date. We are talking some serious effort and time before such a thing would even happen though. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2602 Posts |
Ya know, I was thinking high-powered microscope to determine dates on dateless silver, but I've tried that- it doesn't work, at least up to 40x with a dissecting microscope. Xrays- hmm. Now that's an interesting idea.
Edited by mycrob
01/11/2008 11:34 am
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New Member
United States
2 Posts |
A long time ago I had some Silver Date-Back that did what you all are asking. I found 1918 and 1920-S SLQs and brought back the 'Liberty' on some Barber dimes with HIDEOUS results. To keep from further damaging coins, I threw it away. Now I wish more than ever that I had kept it as I do not remember the acid composition. What I DO remember is that it bubbled like hydrogen peroxide and gave off a metally (?) smell when it was etching the silver. It worked just like Nic-A-Date. I cannot locate the stuff, nor have I seen it since. Maybe a shop that etches PC boards might have something. Maybe something for copper, too... |
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Replies: 24 / Views: 13,076 |
Posted 01/06/2008 2:03 pm
