Nic a Date a silver quarter

I'm not sure if this was nic a date or some other method. I did not know this can be done, but someone pulled the date out of this quarter

 

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Without seeing a "Before" shot, I'm skeptical. From what I (tentatively) understand, the processes that make restoration possible on copper-nickel coins simply don't work on silver, no matter what chemicals you use -- the underlying physical/mechanical changes in the metal are different. I'd love to be proven wrong, though.

 

something was done to the area of the coin where the date was. The date has similar appearance of the buffalo dates. If I shoot straight at the coin you can not see the date, however at an angle you can see it.

 

I'm thinking that it had a weak date before and someone just scrubbed at it. I've seen that pretty frequently on SLQs and even Walkers.

 

I agree.

 

Someone put nic-a-date on it and nothing happened except the discoloration...perhaps.

 

very nice addition

 

From what I heard, the acid works differently on the coin based on the difference in compression of the metal. More compressed areas vs less. Making the date stand out..
It should work on most coins.

 

I've seen some videos, not saying where but I think you can guess, but they used the acid from silver test kits to bring out dates and some details. Apply the acid and leave it on for a minute or so and then rinse well. Repeat if you want. I haven't tried it but I don't have an acid test kit yet anyway

 

As I understand it, "work hardening" makes the metal that flows into the die's recesses more resistant to etching than the rest of the surface. But copper and nickel work-harden a lot more than silver or gold, so the effect is more pronounced on nickels than on silver coins.

 

Is there a reason why you can't mention where you saw the video. I have a rare 2 Tari silver coin from Sicily that I would love to bring the date back.
I had no luck looking on YouTube for videos on restoring dates on silver coins.

 

Apparently, many years ago there was a product being sold that would restore dates on worn silver coins.

 

The date will appear, but the coin is now acid etched and damaged.
You either have a dateless coin, or a dated coin that is damaged.
It's very close to a lose/lose scenario.

 

For me it's a win to know what the date is on a very rare coin. I don't sell my coins, so I don't care about affecting the value of a dateless coin.

 

Agreed. I have one of those old Crown Royal purple bags filled to the brim with dateless Buffalo’s. Some years back curiosity got the best of me and I acid washed a dozen of them. I rationalized that I started with a nickel and ended with a nickel. And boy were they ugly when I finished!

 

No real reason other than the dim view that a lot of people here have about YouTube. I'm not saying that they're wrong to think that because there is a lot of garbage on YouTube. I'm not saying that this method works but it seems like it may so I'm just throwing it out there

 

YouTube has some good stuff and a lot of real garbage. It can be hard for new folks to know what to trust.

 

People will still pay a significant premium for a restored key-date Buffalo nickel, and TPGs will even slab them as damaged but genuine. So I've always thought the lack of date-restored SLQs in the market proves that it can't be done.

This other thread may provide a counter-argument. The poster shows pictures of a date-restored 1923-S SLQ, and eventually sent it in to ICG. ICG refused to slab it, presumably because they weren't convinced it was genuine. (It's easy to be skeptical; of all the dateless SLQs out there, what are the odds that the first one you chose to experiment on would be the big key date? "Non-zero", of course, but still.)

The problem: it's possible to selectively protect areas from etching, which means you could presumably paint on any date you like and "raise" it with etching. This is true for Buffalo nickels as well. So perhaps the real question should be, not "why aren't there restored-date quarters on the market", but "why is there any market at all for restored Buffaloes?" I don't know the answer, except "there are always lots of people who don't know any better"...

 

I have been told that there is not an acid that works well with silver coins. Very little results and you end up with an ugly worked on coin.

 

Nic-A-Silver. Limited effectiveness but good for bringing out date on 3 cent silvers and mint marks on worn Mercury dimes. Wish it was still available. It did not "etch" the coin like Nic-A-Date does on nickels.