Identifying and dating worn silver coins

[Goldfleks]

Ok! So I was going through all my clad finds today a little closer and I think I have a silver quarter and a silver nickel. How do I confirm?



They both look like one solid piece of metal, they don't have the green corroded look my other quarters and nickels have and they are very worn from being in the surf. I can't read any dates.

 

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[DrJoePrime]

War nickels have a large mint mark on the reverse...and many times they'll have black sticky corrosion. The silver quarter: sprinkle salt on it and wrap in aluminum foil. Place in a hot cup of water. You'll get a rotten egg (sulfur) odor. after 20 minutes there should be a black coating which can be washed off in soapy water. Then polish it up with baking soda..using your fingers.

If it's clad there won't be the black coating and no smell.

 

[DrJoePrime]

...

 

[Tommybuckets]

If I can't read em before the rock tumbler I'll check them after but silver will be more black less red or green. A quarter that corroded will not be worth more than melt so I scrape the edge on the ground or another coin until I can see the copper. If you found it in the dirt silver often comes out nice and shiny after a hundred years so hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but its looking doubtful. Even silver quarters from the ocean look ok until you store them for a while.

 

[Goldfleks]

If I can't read em before the rock tumbler I'll check them after but silver will be more black less red or green. A quarter that corroded will not be worth more than melt so I scrape the edge on the ground or another coin until I can see the copper. If you found it in the dirt silver often comes out nice and shiny after a hundred years so hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but its looking doubtful. Even silver quarters from the ocean look ok until you store them for a while.

Ok, so I'm not messing with any value of a beach tumbled silver coin by playing around with it or trying to shine it up? Doubt I would ever sell it if it is indeed silver.

These two coins stuck out from all my other coins simply due to how worn they were, and how clean the metal was. None of the typical gunk or corrosion that I typically see from ocean coins.

Guess I'll try the salt and aluminum trick.

 

[PI PETE]

Update?

 

[Sandancer]

The quarter has no numismatic value. File or sand the edge. You should easily be able to see the layers of a clad coin.

 

[Goldfleks]

Update?

I did the salt thing and didn't smell rotten eggs. Not sure how strong it's supposed to smell. The aluminum turned black? Lol. I dunno haha.

I'm gonna try to file the edge to see if i can see the sandwich next, and put these coins to bed.