So, consensus here says only use Nic-a-date (or vinegar) If date is unreadable. I get that. Almost everyone says "Don't clean coins". If they are low-value though, and to fill my own book, will the Nic-a-lene do any better on my Lincolns than white vinegar then baking soda? Will the Nic-a-spray be okay to use on my 40% Kennedys since they're not worth much anyway?
But come on... I have some *really* ugly 1967 Kennedys. The only argument I can see is that people probably said the same thing about their Morgans, etc., a hundred years ago, and now we curse them for it. (did I answer my own question again?) ;-)
"Don't clean", to put it simply, is generic advice that, for the most part, is intended for the uninitiated. Since you're dealing with coins you know to be junk, do not concern yourself with said advice; if you want to experiment, go for it. Now, nic-a-date has a rather specific purpose whereas the others you mentioned appear to be more generalized products. While familiar with nic-a-date, I have no experience with the other and cannot say what type of results to expect, but when considering what you're presently doing to the coins, it can't be much worse.
All of these you mention, Nic-A-Date, etc., are designed for the specific purpose of basically acid-etching nickel so that the date is restored. They are not for cleaning. What possible reason would you have for using them on Lincolns?
Pretty sure the website said that Nic-a-lene was for copper and Nic-a-spray was for silver /gold ...?
It states on the packaging of both "nic-a-lene" and "nic-a-spray" that they are indeed some sort of cleaner: the former for "cents and nickels", and the latter for "silver and gold". I can only assume that this is why the OP wishes to (possibly) use them. http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/product/nic-a-lene-bottle.html http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/product/nic-a-spray-bottle.html
I see. I've never heard of Nic-a-anything being for cleaning, but these must be cleaning products from the same maker of Nic-a-date.
