How would you clean this 1907 V nickel

[Mosley]

I haven't been doing much detecting lately, it's been too hot and dry, but we got a lot of rain and it has cooled off a lot. I noticed a place in the older part of town where the city had tore out sidewalks, and had dug up a lot of dirt. I got permission to hunt and found 21 wheat pennies, two silver Rosie's, and this 1907 V nickel. the nickel was so encrusted I couldn't tell anything about it. I was hoping for a Buffalo nickel because I have never found one. I put the coin in a vibratory machine with aquarium gravel and got some of the encrustation's off. I then noticed it was a V nickel which makes me very happy because I had never found one of them.
Any suggestions as to how I should finish cleaning this coin? Should I put it back in the vibratory machine with aquarium gravel? O should I use some other method?

 

[utmike]

I soak nickels in a 50/50 mix of catsup and A1 steak sauce overnight, then flip it over for a few hours (the side facing up cleans faster than the down side). As details start coming out, i water down the mixture. Wouldn't do this for a key date coin... good luck!

 

[oneguy]

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?63,2098643

Our dirt out west isn't normally too hard on copper or nickel. With that said, I threw this V in with my clad/nickels (no pennies) in my coin jug that I put my daily finds in (plastic vitamin container). I add vinegar with a dab of salt into the container....shake em all up for about 15min then rinse with water. I also took a scotch brite pad and gently rubbed the coin to bring out the highlights some....

all the coins in link above done the same way minus the scotch brite thing. Just don't mix any clad/nickels with the pennies, always do em seperate. Obviously the wheaties were just cleaned with some Dawn and water.....

 

[cintitomcat]

I have started putting all my none key date coins in a rock tumbler, you wont believe the detail that's on some coin after this. Look bown on my post of the 1850 LC. It cleaned up very nice and views better when in a coin holder.

 

[Chris(SoCenWI)]

I've hunted lots of sidewalk tear outs, and usually nickels and copper coins come out looking pretty tough. Something that leaches from the concrete causes corrosion. A couple years ago I was finding 20 Indian heads per day when the entire down town of a small town was dug up, but very few of them were in any kind of decent shape. The newest coin I found was 1903 so that tells you when they went to concrete sidewalks.

I've never had much luck cleaning corroded copper; but have had so-so results with nickels. I've tried various methods and found tumbling works best. Some come out quite nice, others are pitted where the corrosion was. Nickels are much harder than copper and will not wear so much when tumbled. I know this is a no-no, especially for better dates, but I would rather look at something shiny in my coin books than a crusty corroded disk.

Chris

 

[Goes4ever]

That would be a simple coin to clean with a sos pad, I clean 100% of ALL my old nickels with a sos pad and they remain red but all the corrossion is GONE, look thru some of my posts, every nickel I post has been cleaned with a sos pad

 

[Mosley]

Thanks for the suggestions. When I get the nickel clean I will post a picture.
Goes4ever, I noticed on pg 52 of Relic Magazine a picture of your finds. Very Very impressive!

 

[Goes4ever]

here is a recent V nickel I cleaned with my method

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Yes, an SOS pad and or very fine steel wool is best way to clean old Nickel's.
It takes a lot of rubbing but the come out looking great !

It's a good idea to never clean Nickel's ( or any other copper clad coins ) in a Electrolysis bath - it turns the coin a permanent orange color !
A lot of people use a mixture of Salt & Vinegar to clean Nickel's - this does a good job of cleaning - but it leaves the surface of the coin really pitted !

 

[INSAYN]

Give them a swim in a container filled with Dollar Tree toilet bowl cleaner for 5-10 minutes.
Rinse good to check on the red iron oxide removal, and repeat as needed.

Then soak in a solution of baking soda and water to neutralize the toilet bowl cleaner action for a bit.

Finally rub down with chrome polish or light rubbing compound to bring out the highlights.

Mine tend to leave a nice dark gray patina in the lower areas and make the raised areas *POP*.