Cleaning a nickel????

[waseeker]

We found a old corroded buffalo nickel at an old school site this evening. It is barely identifiable as a buffalo. Any advice on a way to safely clean it up a bit?

thanks

 

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[captain Jack]

best advice I got was to soak it in vegetable oil for a while. Or more like a few days and it'll break up the crud on it. But depending on the minerals in the soil in your area it may be that's it's just not going to be a pretty one. But I think oil will break up anything that is gonna come off. Careful not to scratch it or anything trying to pry or scrape errosion off. Good luck!

 

[Skrimpy]

We found a old corroded buffalo nickel at an old school site this evening. It is barely identifiable as a buffalo. Any advice on a way to safely clean it up a bit?

thanks

Most of them aren't worth much. If you don't plan on it ever gaining too much value your best bet to bring out the detail is electrolysis. If you want to retain as much of its value as you can, do the olive oil thing for a couple months and hope for the best.

 

[vw]

I use Twinkle copper cleaner. If there's a Stater Bros. they sell it. Just wet the nickel and bury it in the paste over night and repeat the process as necessary. This works for me. Of course it works on corrided wheaties too. We have very alkali soil.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I can tell you what not to use. Someone suggested mustard as a nickel cleaner (I don't think it was on this website). Luckily I tested it first on an older dug Jefferson. Darkened it up in splotches and pitted it even worse.

Always test.

 

[ELVISFAN]

JUST CLEANED A NICKEL WITH BAKING SODA AND WARM WATER TURNED OUT PRETTY GOOD DAVID

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

Buffalo nickels are hard to clean, if its corrosion their is nothing you can do the metal is eaten away. If its just dirty don't use water or it will turn bright red. A Dry clean with a soft bristle brush or soft cloth is best for these type of nickels. Just carefully dust it off. Post some pictures...


Keep @ it and HH!!

 

[Skrimpy]

Here's what I do/did I paid $8.00 for one of those battery operated false teeth cleaning machines, fill with warm (not Hot) water drop in an Efferdent. replace the top and turn it on/ Mine works a two cycle it runs for 15 min stops for 5 then runs another fifteen. I use it on everything except clad( on that I use Judy's electric toothbrush, and old one It seems to work well on wheaties, but remember do only one type of coin at a time, don't mix copper silver and electricity together, something about thermo nuclear something or other
try it you'll like it
HH
Blue

Sounds like sonication to me. We use them in the lab to break stuff up. Put whatever it is you want cleaned in there and fill to the top with water or sometimes a solvent. Then turn it on and let it work for an hour or two and whammo! Everything that can come off will.

 

[{Sentinel}]

Well here's what I do. I use the Peroxide method. Get you a shot glass or some other small cup and fill it up with the Peroxide. Then take the shot glass (do not put coin in at this stage!) and microwave for 12-15 seconds or until it is very warm. Then take it out of the microwave and drop your coin down into it. Suddenly you will see it start to fizz like you have dropped an alkaseltzer into it......this is good as it bubbles away all the surface dirt and grunge without harming the coin. I have used this method for all of my coins and works VERY well. I usually leave my coin in for an hour and then reheat and put the coin back in on the opposite side for an additional hour.