1913-S Buffalo Nickel T2-Acid Enhanced Date Valuation Concern

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Author	Replies: 4 / Views: 5,995
mdpmedia Pillar of the Community United States 3546 Posts	Posted 08/12/2011 11:59 am Hello, I picked this nickel up yesterday for $ 12 at a kiosk displaying various coins. Even though this coin has been manually altered, I thought I would take a chance and grab it because of the decent looking S. I have never purchased an acid enhanced coin in my life and wanted to know a few things: 1) Is this 'officially' still considered an authentic coin even even after its chemical alteration? 2) How would this coin now grade out being that the date has been chemically enhanced? 3) What type of 'specific' chemical composition is typically utilized in performing this type of enhancement similar to the attached example? 4) Finally, I typically refrain from asking members' opinions on pricing valuations but in this case I would greatly appreciate receiving them in light of the rarity of this example. Thanks, mdpmedia Report this Post to the Staff

biokemist6 Bedrock of the Community United States 12437 Posts	Posted 08/12/2011 1:11 pm 1) Yes, it is still authentic. The coin has been chemically etched to reveal worn details, not re-engraved/tooled. 2)That is actually a pretty nice nickel and probably should not have been nic-a-dated. I would bet that parts of the "13" would have been visible if you looked hard enough. I base that on the fact that the coin has Good details, none of the peripheral devices are worn into the rim like you would expect with an AG coin. 3)Ferric nitrate is the primary active ingredient in Nic-A-Date. Some also use 5% acetic acid(vinegar) for slower results. 4)It is hard to value nic-a-date coins but I would say you paid a very fair price considering the amount of detail left on the coin and the clarity of the mintmark. Honestly, I would have a very hard time passing up that nickel for $12 Report this Post to the Staff
schockergd Valued Member United States 397 Posts	Posted 08/12/2011 3:28 pm It's authentic but from my understanding, kills the value of a coin compared to one that has a barely readable date. Report this Post to the Staff
upstate Pillar of the Community United States 3283 Posts	Posted 08/15/2011 3:36 pm It's a very expensive coin when orginial. $12 is not bad at all. Too bad they didn't treat the entire coin so the coloration was more even (vinegar). I personally like that effect better, if I was to choose. Report this Post to the Staff
CaptainFwiffo Pillar of the Community United States 4132 Posts	Posted 08/15/2011 4:11 pm The "active ingredient" in Nic-a-Date is ferric chloride. It works by dissolving the copper, which is why it's used to etch circuit boards. The price you paid is pretty good - restored 1913-S type 2 typically go for about $35-45 on ebay, and often look worse than yours. I've found two in my own Nic-a-Dating project; this is the better of them. I am very careful not to date partials, and this one was completely blank before I did anything to it. Edited by CaptainFwiffo 08/15/2011 4:19 pm Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 4 / Views: 5,995

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