Any way to clean up a buffalo nickel?

[bigcreekdad]

My first non clad "real" coin....a 1937d. I'll post a pic, but I wondered if there is any way to clean it up first.

 

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[ronbo22]

Nickles don't fare well underground, You can make more presentable by soaking it in hot sauce or ketchup.

 

[Goes4ever]

the best method I found to clean nickels that are NOT key dates, and just common date nickels is the put in a coin tumbler with smooth stones, a little water and a bit of dishsoap. Tumble it for 15 minutes check it and if not clean up repeat. I never liked the soaking in ketchup method, it is the vinegar in ketchup that does the cleaning and it always seems to give the coin a pitted appearance. I have tried lime a way, ketchup, plain vinegar etc....and I still prefer the tumble method.

 

[TXDIRTFISHER]

do an internet search for....nick a date

 

[Argentium]

I've had decent results with worcestershire sauce , but keep an eye on it because it is a bit
corrosive (or acidic) Question - have any of you tried electrolysis with nickels

 

[Goes4ever]

do an internet search for....nick a date

nick a date makes nickels look horrible it will make your nickel a very dull ugly gray color. If you like that look then fine, but the tumble method will work much better

 

[Nate in Ga]

just use water and get the loose dirt off it and leave it as is, i know how you feel I get finds sometimes that i carry around the house with me for days looking at it over and over. hh

 

[Goes4ever]

here are some I have done using the tumbler method, a before and after V nickel, and an after only buffalo, I forget to get before pic, you can see I tumbled the V nickel longer till the gray color came back, I only tumbled the buff for about 15 min so it still has some reddish tink to it, but they both look way nicer than when they came out of the ground, the last pic is an extremely corroded V nickel I found in a field, I experimented with lime a way with this nickel, did not turn out too bad considering how it first looked.

 

[caveman2]

wet the nickel and put dry baking soda on it and rub it good with ur thumb or whatever

 

[treasurehound]

I recently found a very corroded buffalo nickel and no visible date. A friend told me to try vinegar and salt mixture. I will do a before and after picture when I do it and see how well it works. If it works ok I will post results. If not it will be added to my old coin pile.

 

[ron_c]

DO NOT do this to valuable coins, this is for common date coins. A lot of people know about using vinegar and salt and has been around for years and works very well for removing the crud and the red color on dug nickels. It will usually bring back the date on dateless Buffalo's but it leaves the coin a dull gray color.

 

[budrow]

How much vinegar and salt do you use at one time? And does it work on dimes and pennys? Never tried it.