Do not even use nicadate! Leave this coin as is, just wash off with water. The value of this coin is the highest it is going to get. You say it is an 1886 that is a semi-key year and a rare find in my book. To touch this coin by cleaning would probably be something you will regret later on. Congrats on the very nice find!
I once bought from a dealer a cleaned 1885 v nickel for 25 cents. He cleaned it and he ruined it. It had value as a VF dirty and he couldn't sell it for any amount for five years then offered it to me for a quarter. It's only a hole filler now and I wish it was still dirty. So does he. Whenever anyone gets the urge to clean coins they should start with coins that have NO PREMIUM VALUE. exanimo, ss
Would someone, please tell me why there is a value to a coin that is dirty looking and not to one that has been cleaned? I mean why the same coin dirty , would not have the same value if you clean it ? Thanks! (My first thing as I guess a woman, would be to clean it up lol) I love to find old jewelry and clean it up, its one of the things I love about finding stuff! (I know very blondle lol)
This is what makes the world go around . The very act of cleaning reduces the number of pristine original coins and ratchets up their price every time someone gives in to the urge to clean . Clean freaks are thus , good for the economy .
The coloration of this coin is normal for a dug nickle. Nickle turns dark when it is in the ground. I believe since the invention of detectors there has not been found a non-harmful way to restore the original color back to the coin. I also believe the color of the coin says one thing others do not mention often, that is the coin is real.
Nothing that is actually nice compared to the one's I find. I'd leave that one alone. I have the rarest 1885 and I didn't do anything to it but rince it and seal it in a plastic coin holder to keep air and skin oils off of it.
I try not to clean any coins worth more than 100.00. Unless they are so bad they can't be seen. It is tough to make that decision but it's probably the best one. Me I could polish that coin up nice but then they say it's value less and I don't get it. I'd rather have a clean dug coin than a crusty dug coin.