Found a 1903 V Nickel - How to Clean?

[mountainplayer]

Hi All,

It's been a while since I posted. Snow and frozen ground have pretty much shut down my treasure hunting until today. Got an opportunity to hunt a 100 plus year old house in a bit warmer area, lower elevation and South facing. Second signal turned out to be a 1903 V Nickel, at only 3" deep. My oldest coin to date! It must have been sitting on a rock because I found several clad coins in the same yard that were up to 6". My heart was pumping every time.

Anyway, sorry I can't post a pic now. Will do it as soon as I can get the coin cleaned up, which is why I'm posting here...what do you folks recommend??

I've already determined that its not valuable (3 bucks), so I'm pretty willing to try anything as long as it makes the features visible. I'm dealing with the typical reddish coloration that all older nickels seem to suffer from in my area.

Thanks, MP

 

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[Ant]

I tumbled this buffalo nickle using the coin tombling recipe I posted on this page.

 

[mountainplayer]

Ant,

Wow, I'm impressed! I found a no date Buffalo a couple of months ago and now I'm wondering if I can do the same thing you did. I can hardly believe how the tumbler brought out all of that detail.

Let me know if you ever get up to Northern, Northern Cal.

MP

 

[BuckleBoy]

I normally never, ever consent to cleaning coins in any way...but I like the results for nickels, I'd have to admit. As long as the recipe for the tumbling and the time used is just right. (And as long as you don't mix coppers and clads. LOL)

Buckleboy

 

[EDDE]

try hot ammonia rubbed on with a q tip
rinse repeat as needed

 

[BuckleBoy]

Do you have any before/after pics of the ammonia process?

 

[EDDE]

 

[EDDE]

the one on the top left was the ammonia process the worse of the 2
the bottom results are reversed sorry
not for keys dates obviouslly
cleaned theses to show different ways they look to others for display purposes
when i dropped the one in ammonia the green started to desolve off BLUE like that ritt dye stuff

 

[BuckleBoy]

And you've tried this for nickels too? Any pics?

 

[EDDE]

UGHHHHHHHHHHHH got me on that one
hold on here consulting my book

 

[EDDE]

,750 copper on v's
.950 copper on the indian
should work

 

[Ant]

I've tried the ammonia process too, but with out the heating the ammonia which might make a difference. It took most of the green verdigris off but left the coin a brown color. If you try heating up ammonia be careful not to over heat it because that could cause it gas off a deadly gas.

HH

 

[EDDE]

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