So, I need all the clever minds to inform my "ancient only" mind on this, because I've been curious for a while now. I have heard that if I have a dateless buffalo I can put some sort of acid on it to make it have a date again...but if the date is worn how does the acid bring the date back? Also: Yes I know that doing this to a coin is unethical, and i don't plan to do it, I'm just wondering how it happens. stainless
There has been much discussion about raising the date on dateless coins. I believe soaking the coin in vinegar has been the more popular suggestion. I've never tried it so I don't know if it works.
Drugging your buffalos is unethical! Stainless, you don't need acid to get your buffalo a date... Just call around to some ranchers to see if you can get your bull a cow or vice versa and let nature take its course...:whistle:
Get Nic-a-date. Apply it only to the area you want to restore. vinegar will give it a weird look. It works by eating away the metal, when the coin was struck it leaves an impression so you can get a date by peeling off a layer of metal
The same way acid bring back the serial number on guns. The minting process changes the molecular structure of the coin (stamping process on a gun) such that the acid removes the metal around the date/serial number more easily. For Buffaloes, I think vinegar gives a better looking coin because it gives detail across the entire coin and does not discolor the coin like nik-a-date does. BTW, try searching vinegar or nik-a-date. you will get lots of results.
i like to buy dateless buffalos, i do agree its almost eneithical, but i have found some GREAT book fillers in my "dateless" stuff that ive used nik-a-date on some keys and a REAL gem as in a 1 in 150+ in existance gem so, id rather have an "altered" gem than no gem at all thats how i see it
Dateless buffalos are the only kind of coin I "clean." I can give a testament to vinegar. It works ok and brings the date back w/o altering the coin too much. I love buying them and bringing the date back. I found my 1913-S type 2 in a bag of dateless and I would never be able to afford one otherwise. I'm like el_greko, I'd rather have a cleaned coin than not to have one at all. Good luck.
You would do better by employing the services of Merlin...... But since you have infuriated the King I believe those services are no longer available to you.
good call lincolncent! my big coined i pulled this week from a dateless batch was a 1916/16 ddo buffalo that why i am perfectly ok with "altering"a dateless coin, becasue it brought back a VERY rare gem into the world in that same back i also uncovered a 21-s buff im telling you guys its worth looking into it!
Like I said, these are the only kind of coins I clean. Otherwise, there is basically nil nuministical value to them and you have no idea what you have. I agree it is unethical but when there is nothing to lose, sometimes its worth it. By the way, I'd rather call the Lady of the Lake.....
yea, i see no reason why not to try and pull a date from a dateless buffalo. they are not valuable, either way. this way you can at least see what has gotten ruined! i think i am going to try vinegar first, because i am cheap and don't want to have to buy the nic-a-date if i don't have to.