PSA: Vinegar dating is the best

So I got a bunch of dateless, or acid dated buffalo nickels.

Even after the acid, some of these dates are still unreadable.

So I tossed a bunch in pure white vinegar and VOILA, the dates rise up to the top like zombies out of a grave. No added H2O2 or anything, just straight Heinz Pickle Perfect.

The vinegar is great because it doesnt leave a huge black splotch like nicadate, doesnt eat away too much like some stronger acids, and in general is relatively non-destructive.

It's still obviously acid dated, but these coins in general look much cleaner than other options that I've seen.

 

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I would be nice if the white vinegar worked on dateless SLQs.

 

You can say that again!

 

I've heard of some guy who used 2 parts vinegar 1 part peroxide to acid date US junk silver. He did it on a Barber Quarter and it turned out to be 1909-O. Maybe it will work on dateless SLQs.

 

Any,
P01's yet?

 

Just tried the same, with no luck. I'll try again tomorrow with maybe more peroxide and maybe more time?

 

I found a solid Poor-0 1917-D

 

Let us know if it works on your silver coins.

 

This vinegar works ridiculously well with Shield nickels. I had one that was worn slick - no trace of date, motto, or leaves, just the highest points on the outline of the shield. The reverse had nothing at all.
Now it's got a full motto, leaves, shield, everything! I guess this is since the shield nickel has higher and finer details that are more easily exposed when its dissolving in acid

 

I got to try this, I was metal detecting and pulled a wheat, it was 1909, I wanted a quick look and broke one of my rules and gave it a rub-bam the dirt/sand rubbed it right down. I have other 1909's but each find is special.

 

How long do you leave the nickels in the vinegar?

 

I have a few dateless I want to try this with. I know there's the nic-a-date stuff but I hate the ugly coloring it leaves. The vinegar leaves an even coloring and texture on the coin.

 

Usually a couple of hours or so. Every now and then, I peek at the coins and see if there's any progress. Some dates are lifted right out, while others are real stubborn. I would recommend against leaving them in a closet and forgetting about them, as you run the risk of overdoing it.
So just toss them in vinegar at the start of your day, and periodically check up when you have a free moment.

 

The vinegar "trick" has to do with the "strike hardening" of the coin's details. The metal of the coin's design detail (like its date) and its field is affected/changed below its surface differently when the planchet is struck. The vinegar attacks the compressed atoms in the metal at a slower rate. Same thing happens on coins seen with "selective corrosion."

Edit for clarity.

 

Exactly. And, as I understand it, coin silver doesn't experience strike hardening like copper-nickel does. That's why you can't restore silver coin dates, even if you've got an acid that attacks the metal. (Silver is less reactive, actually less electropositive, than nickel, so weak acids like vinegar don't affect it. Nitric acid will, because it's both an acid and an oxidizer.)

I do see people saying that there "used to be" products for restoring dates on silver; the typical story is that the products were taken off the market in the 1960s because they contained cyanide. I can believe there were toxic products that attacked silver, but I haven't seen any evidence that they actually worked for restoring dates. If they did, we'd be seeing more "corroded" or "environmental damage" SLQs with key dates. We don't, or at least I don't; once those dates are worn off, they're gone. I wish it were otherwise.

 

dateless Standing Liberty quarter

 

Here's another PSA: I threw some peroxide in the vinegar just for fun. Stared at the bowl, inhaling all the while. My lungs are now on fire. Googled it. Turns out mixing peroxide and vinegar = bad stuff. So don't breathe it in. Ow.

 

Apparently it forms peracetic acid, a corrosive acid.

 

Not at these strengths.

 

Yea, you need a bunch to make it really bad. But still don't inhale it!