1883 Shield 5c. with weird toning from CoinFest

Since I promised to post pictures of the 1883 Shield 5 cent I got for a buck, here they are.

The coin is REALLY nice grade (for my collection at least!), if not for the toning/corrosion. But, it was $1.00 and fills a hole in my album!

Please excuse the blurry shot, batteries were dying and I couldn't get the cam to focus.

Enjoy the pics!

 

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Can't beat it for a dollar. I've seen similar red "stuff" on other early nickels. I do believe it is some sort of environmental damage; how exactly to classify it I do not know.

That's a coin that might benefit a little from some careful conservatorship; nothing too harsh.

 

Thanks borgovian!

What sort of conservation would you suggest?

I try not to clean or alter any of my coins, with exception of soap and water for some dirty low-grade foreign coppers and nickles.

 

I would try to dip it in some kind of sovent, to remove that from the surface.

It MAY come off.

 

The reddish toning is more from the copper, the nickels are actually 75% copper - which is ironic given the fact that nickel as a metal only constitutes 25% of the composition.

I have picked up nickels from the Potomac river that have similar toning, something inorganic like salts or something cause that sort of toning.

But it is unusual to have some of it not affected by the toning, but not impossible. Could have sat in a pile somewhere for a very long time which is why it is irregularly toned.

 

I wonder if pure acetone would work on this? Not really sure since I have never done this before. And I agree it almost looks like a ground recovery coin.

 

I would start with soap and water, then progress to acetone (not nail polish remover, but pure acetone) to attempt to remove the green stuff (which looks like a copper salt.) It may also require some gentle mechanical action.

The "red stuff" will not come off with any method I can think of, other than harsh scrubbing, which I do not recommend. Nothing I've ever tried on it will remove it.

 

great coin for a dollar. I am still looking for a Shield nickel to complete my collection.

 

Agreed, that is a great coin for a buck, in all my years of collecting, and all the dosh I have expended, I have never ever owned a shield nickel. Not sure why.

 

That nickel has the appearance of being ground dug. Probably a reaction from whatever was in the soil. The green stuff is def. verdigris.

 

That's not toning, that's corrosion.

 

Well i`ll venture a guess since i`m no expert but that sheild looks painted to me such as the old jukebox or bar coins were . The color looks a lot like the old red barn paint or bottom paint used on boats (which contained a lot of copper ) . Just my opinion .

 

Yeah, few people know that. In fact, the nickel is the only coin we have that hasn't changed in composition or % of composition since it's inception.

I would have said this looked painted. I never knew they could corrode like that. You learn something every day. For a buck, I definitely wouldn't be afraid to experiment with cleaning it and see what happens.

 

To tell you the truth, I'd keep it as it is. It's unusual looking, and for a dollar how well preserved does it have to be? It makes for something different to look at.
Guy~

 

my first thought on this was that it was painted as well. never seen toning that looks like that, but i don't really collect these either. if it is paint though, a quick dip in pure acetone followed by lots of rinsing in distilled water should take that paint right off.

 

Ditto on that , Guy .
rzage:thumb:

 

I'm not going to clean it, it's pretty original looking and I like it the way it is. I already did a light soap and water cleaning on it to get most the grime off.

And no, it's not paint on it!

 

I don't think you would be able to get that "color" off with anything short of a wire brush.

 

I agree with the painted theory. If it is as red as the picture suggests. Nice coin though. it looks like there are a lot of details left.

 

What do you think the "color" is?