Best dug V-nickel Ive seen...1883 No cents

[whites6000inPa]

Best dug V-nickel I've seen...1883 No cents

I'll start by saying that while I didn't dig it, this was given to me....by a fellow detecting enthusiast, and it was coal black...except what was caked with green verdigris. I decided to try and clean it since the surfaces actually looked pretty nice.

I used tarn-x and 0000 steel wool, followed by an ammonia soak (to remove the stubborn green) to return the nickel to a more normal color, and while there's some surface damage.....I like it better. It was not worth much in the state it was in when I got it.....so nuthin' from nuthin' leaves nuthin'. I decided to give it a go.

Purist collectors will want to puke at such harsh treatment....but it's a definite improvement. I wish I'd taken a before picture....but in my lifetime...anytime I've taken a before picture...there's been no "after".

Wyatt

 

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[Detectingfreak]

Re: Best dug V-nickel I've seen...1883 No cents

Man for being dug out of the ground. that is the best v-nickel!!

 

[Rusted_Iron]

Re: Best dug V-nickel I've seen...1883 No cents

I've used the 0000 steel wool treatment on really bad nickels. They come out of the ground all red and grainy, basically worthless anyway. When it's that bad, a coin has nowhere to go but up.

Nice find!

 

[Cannonman17]

Re: Best dug V-nickel I've seen...1883 No cents

I'm one of those collectors who gets sick about old coins getting cleaned... BUT, I must say in terms of the tone of the coin this doesn't look too bad..steel wool though? Yikes..