Slingshot
Bronze Member
- Apr 3, 2004
- 1,074
- 1,206
- Detector(s) used
- Whites CM2 BFO, Harbor Freight 9 function, BH Pioneer 202, Fisher F22
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
This will work on nickel coins that are slicked out with no date that you still find in circulation, it won't work if the coin is already oxidized from being in the ground and has a black or green coating. These are known as acid etched nickels, and their value is greatly diminished from a coin that still has it's date readable without having been restored via an acid bath.
While wearing some kind of protective eyewear, and rubber gloves, then proceed as follows.
Start with 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide, the kind you get at any drugstore, put into a shallow non metallic ceramic dish, like a teacup plate, then add in 1 tablespoon of vinegar, white is best. Always add the vinegar to the HP, as always add the acid to the base. Larger batches can be made, always 50/50, but this should be enough for 2-3 nickels. Then put your slicked out nickel into the solution making sure it is covered by the solution, and carefully sprinkle table salt onto where you want to see details that have been worn off, like in the date area, or the entire nickel if you want to do it all. You will see what appears to be boiling action taking place where the salt touches the coin, and depending on how worn the coin is you should be able to begin to see faint details in just a minute or so. Then carefully flip the nickel with a toothpick, popsicle stick, or any wooden stick, and do it's other side when it is etched as much as you want. Then remove the nickel from the solution carefully while wearing some kind of rubber glove and rinse in water.
This is really a pretty safe solution, and I never had any problems using it, just make sure you keep your skin flushed with plenty of water if any gets on you, and to dispose of the solution by diluting with lots of water.
I used to buy rolls of slicked out Buffalo nickels then subject them to this treatment, and built an entire collection of acid etched nickels with all mint marks from 1913 to 1930. I never found any of the doubled dates or other rare varieties, but others have and still do, and hopefully I will at some point also.
You can also just drop the entire nickels into straight vinegar and in a couple of weeks the entire nickel will be acid etched, with date full horn and all details back, just takes longer than the above solution.
These coins have a coarse appearance after treatment, and like I said before, they have very little value compared to coins that are still readable. So, have fun and be careful.
While wearing some kind of protective eyewear, and rubber gloves, then proceed as follows.
Start with 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide, the kind you get at any drugstore, put into a shallow non metallic ceramic dish, like a teacup plate, then add in 1 tablespoon of vinegar, white is best. Always add the vinegar to the HP, as always add the acid to the base. Larger batches can be made, always 50/50, but this should be enough for 2-3 nickels. Then put your slicked out nickel into the solution making sure it is covered by the solution, and carefully sprinkle table salt onto where you want to see details that have been worn off, like in the date area, or the entire nickel if you want to do it all. You will see what appears to be boiling action taking place where the salt touches the coin, and depending on how worn the coin is you should be able to begin to see faint details in just a minute or so. Then carefully flip the nickel with a toothpick, popsicle stick, or any wooden stick, and do it's other side when it is etched as much as you want. Then remove the nickel from the solution carefully while wearing some kind of rubber glove and rinse in water.
This is really a pretty safe solution, and I never had any problems using it, just make sure you keep your skin flushed with plenty of water if any gets on you, and to dispose of the solution by diluting with lots of water.
I used to buy rolls of slicked out Buffalo nickels then subject them to this treatment, and built an entire collection of acid etched nickels with all mint marks from 1913 to 1930. I never found any of the doubled dates or other rare varieties, but others have and still do, and hopefully I will at some point also.
You can also just drop the entire nickels into straight vinegar and in a couple of weeks the entire nickel will be acid etched, with date full horn and all details back, just takes longer than the above solution.
These coins have a coarse appearance after treatment, and like I said before, they have very little value compared to coins that are still readable. So, have fun and be careful.
