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 Replies: 16 / Views: 2,906 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1547 Posts |
You know the question, I want to bring up the date. But that's not as easy on these as it is on a dateless Buffalo nickel, e.g. (i.e., if you never tried it, white vinegar, and in a day or two you have it, plus, if there is one, the mint mark). Anybody know of any trick/way to bring up the date on a dateless silver? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
625 Posts |
Dont think it can be done from my understanding.
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Valued Member
United States
141 Posts |
Will white vinegar help show a date on a nickel ?
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Valued Member
United States
462 Posts |
I think that you would expect the density of metal around the base of the date to be higher than the metal at the date so perhaps there is an etching procedure that can be employed. Maybe a dilute etching solution a la: http://www.finishing.com/140/75.shtmlNext time I get some junk silver, I will try it out and report back. |
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Moderator
 United States
187702 Posts |
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Valued Member
Canada
79 Posts |
 Interesting, I have one these. The date is all but gone. Gotta admit, since I am a newbie and all, the batteries for the digital are a charging. Anyway, I have nailed mine down to 1920, and although there are no real tricks to this, I used high magnification, and a standard soft white incandescent 60watt bulb, and by tipping, twisting, and rotating the coin, I was able to pick up on small pieces of edges of what was left of the numbers. Try to focus on what is there as opposed to what is not there. Good luck with this one  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1547 Posts |
AGCoinHunter, once they're gone, they're gone. That's been my understanding, too. Just checking, here, though, it never hurts. Pinenut, when you get a chance to try that, let us know what you discover. Jbuck, thanks, I'll look those over when I get a few, what the heck. LuckyDIme, you betcha. Small glass jar, inch of white vinegar, pop them in there, check them every night with your loupe. It shouldn't take more than two or three days to see something on the majority of these. Just pop the ones that aren't showing back in there for another night. It'll smooth out the surface, some. In my experience, the most stubborn cases take no longer than a week. Let us know what you turn up. CJ, that way is as good as any I know of... |
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Valued Member
United States
141 Posts |
eddiespin, Can you possibly leave these in the vinegar too long?
I have a lot of dateless nickels (out of 28) this is what I can Read or make out.
1--1917
1--1918
2--1919
2--1920
2--1923
1--1929
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
I had a couple of stubborn nickels that I was never able to get a date from. I had them in 5% vinegar for over a month with no more damage then if it had been in for 1 day. Interestingly, the vinegar changed to blue! I suppose some dates are worn beyond recovery.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1547 Posts |
Not really. It shouldn't take that long anyway to see something on them to help you nail down a date and if so a mint mark. Try it on just one if you have any apprehensions and see. I've seen some verdigris (the green stuff) form every now and then when you take them out, but it's just the crystalline type (meaning, the fast-forming type), and it just as quickly comes off when you re-immerse them in fresh vinegar. Look, try this, you'll like it...
:)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2589 Posts |
From what I remember from previous topics it should be possible to return the date using a silver etchant, but the acids required are quite nasty and dangerous to use.
-XoG
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Valued Member
United States
141 Posts |
Thank's Guy's Back to the vinegar for another cleanse
Edited by LuckyDIme
02/09/2010 12:24 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1547 Posts |
I've tried Xylene (a.k.a., paint stripper) before on silver, without success. This is the stuff that makes house painters "punchy" (the fumes are that noxious). I don't suppose one buys a can of silver etchant at Ace Hardware, huh? I wonder where one gets one of those.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1547 Posts |
LuckyDime, let us know what you find. I use full strength. Nod2003's 5% formula requires a little more "patience." If/when the concoction starts turning blue, dump it out and pour in fresh white vinegar. The blue is just the verdigris coming off and in suspension.
Edited by eddiespin
02/09/2010 12:49 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Xylene is an organic solvent, it will not react with silver at all so it is completely useless for restoring dates. Silver etchants are nasty corrosive substances and should not be used by novices and it is definitely not something that Ace Hardware would carry or any other hardware store for that matter. Some electronics supply companies will carry etchant pens for silver leads on circuit boards but I cannot guarantee their effectiveness on coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1547 Posts |
Thanks. I had the Xylene in the garage and used it to "clean up" some badly corroded IHCs, before, so I just tried it on a dateless Walker once (as long as I had it, heck). You're right, it does absolutely nothing. Appreciate that advice on that silver etchant; I'll steer clear of it. I want a date on these, but I don't want one that bad.  |
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Replies: 16 / Views: 2,906 |
Posted 02/08/2010 1:43 pm
