Found this today, Someone tried Nik A Date that didn't work. I used my process and even the stain was removed. About a 2 hour process.
Sorry, I generally never try to clean my coins because I do know that in most cases, its best to leave as is unless you know what you are doing. Therefore, I have not looked into all the specifics of these substances reactions when coming in contact with coins. You still never answered my question!
I use Vinegar and 40 vol. Peroxide which is usually only available at beauty supply stores. If you have a coin with no date, do you really have something to be concerned about? This is, and always will be, a 1918 D Buffalo Nickel. You can't dispute that. It is beyond me why the coin collecting world treats them like a Redheaded Stepchild. Antique coins are identified using similar processes - almost to the point of tooling. My avatar is one of those (no tooling though). We don't seem to have a problem with them. I have dozens of restored Buffalo Nickels. I have one set that is almost all restored coins.
The vinegar by itself will work...but it will take longer. The H2O2 is added to speed up the reaction, so using a 50/50 mixture, you will have a result in a few minutes...instead of hours or even days. The thing is that if you use a lower percentage of vinegar, the etched finish you get will be smoother than the 50/50 mixture. I usually start with a 50/50 mixture, but as you continue to use the mixture, the H2O2 becomes less active...and eventually you are left with a blue tinted mixture that produces the finer etched finish. I sometimes take a date revealed coin and put it back into the blue mixture to reduce the more aggressive etched finish. Advice given to me: if you use the 50/50 mixture, you need to stay on top of things. You need to be watching it to reduce the likelihood of over etching the nickel. I agree with that advice and here's another tip: watch for the creation of bubbles that hide under the nickel. If one forms and stays attached, the etch will be uneven in that area. Of course, etching the coin is technically damaging the coin. But, unless you can identify the coin through other diagnostics, it is the only way to find out what you have in hand. Over the years of CRH events, I had dozens of dateless Buffalo...and a dateless V Nickel. I used the mixture to reveal what I had found in circulation and started my Pickled Nickel collection. I was surprised to find many good dates/mm's in the nickel jar.
Inspector! It's been fun watching your find-streak continuing and the other side events like this 1918 D!! It's giving me the itch to resume the CRH events...especially since working the change is resulting in fewer nickels and cents (my favorites to search). Seems many are rounding to the nickel, making dimes and quarters more prevalent. Even from the grocery checkout kiosks! It's a travesty, I tell you!!
Kevin, I feel we have a responsibility to rescue these old coins. I find your tips to be very practical and in line with my practice. I too find it necessary to pull coins out regularly to keep from over cooking them.
Inspector...I made the mistake once by mistake, but I lost another few trying to further optimize the revealed date. Those other mistakes were on nickels that were more common...I wouldn't risk over cooking a better date/mm coin. But in the end, I was just intrigued in learning what was flowing through our fingers. Many here won't pickle the nickel...and that's fine...but I enjoy the reveal. And I liked it when I would occasionally add a new entry to the Pickled Nickel album. Collecting is what we make of it...some are enamored by the MS coins...some are excited about worn specimens. Nobody more correct or wrong about what interests them. And like you, I find that by restoring the coin enough to gather the date and mm, the coin feels a bit more...real.
