Following a post by @Topcat7 about putting some life back into an old Shield Nickel got me to thinking about this old piece. It's actually quite a nice coin under all the crusty grunge. I have had it a while. Traded one of my detector buddies for it so it was unearthed at some point. I have left well enough alone, but I sure would like to see some of the beauty this piece holds. Is this a candidate worthy of restoration or better to leave well enough alone?
If it were me I'd leave it alone. As it is, it's a sweet Civil War relic that was dug out of the ground. If a restoration ends up all blotchy, then it's just another ugly problem coin. I'd prefer the former- just my two cents on your two cents.
I'd give it a nice bath and a soaking. Try to get some of the surface grime off without scrubbing the coin. Otherwise, I'd leave it alone. Do you know where it was found?
Well the fellow was a detecting buddy of mine. His hunting ground was Uber top-secret. He wasn’t a coin guy. His thing was buttons from revolutionary war uniforms. And by golly he found them. I only know it would have been near where two rivers merge in the Columbia South Carolina area. That was back in the 1990’s. Seems I remember trading him three of my five dollar cigars for this piece..... Man how I miss a good cigar....
Given the date check your records and S. Carolina history as it dates from the civil war. Maybe a soldier lost it on the battlefield. Nice to think at least.
