First V Nickel! Now how do I clean it?

[toughturtle]

OK, I have been reading every forum post, website, etc on cleaning V Nickels and am unsure of what I should do i my case.

This is my first V Nickel, I have only been MDing for a few weeks, and I would like to be able to see some details without holding a flashlight at an angle , squinting, and imagining that the crud is not there. I have soaked in soapy water, used a soft toothbrush, and the toothpick trick. I have gotten some crud off, but I am nervous about all the different cleaning applications. It seems like different methods work differently for different states of the coin? Or crud buildup?

The coin is a 1911 V Nickel and the raised parts are there, but faint.

Any ideas?

Thanks for any help you can lend.

 

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[christo000]

Some I have heard do a electrolysis cleaning something with a battery ud get a better idea on YouTube shows how to make one its supposed to be good for cleaning coins hope it helps

 

[Jason in Enid]

There is probably nothing you can do to improve it. I have tried electrolysis on crappy V nicks and all that came out was a blank disc. This was after checking and gently brushing it every few minutes to prevent from baking it. The corrosion and patina on the coin is often all that remains of the details.

 

[BryanM362]

Try warming up some hydrogen peroxide and soak it in that for about 15 minutes. You should see bubble coming off the coin. Assuming you are not worried about selling it, you can then take a small brass wire brush to it and gently clean it. It may cause some micro scratches, but probably not visible to the naked eye. Careful heating the HP, I usually microwave it for 30 seconds.

 

[skip_a_loo]

try toilet bowl cleaner

 

[Tom_in_CA]

OK, I have been reading every forum post, website, etc on cleaning V Nickels and am unsure of what I should do i my case.

This is my first V Nickel, I have only been MDing for a few weeks, and I would like to be able to see some details without holding a flashlight at an angle , squinting, and imagining that the crud is not there. I have soaked in soapy water, used a soft toothbrush, and the toothpick trick. I have gotten some crud off, but I am nervous about all the different cleaning applications. It seems like different methods work differently for different states of the coin? Or crud buildup?

The coin is a 1911 V Nickel and the raised parts are there, but faint.

Any ideas?

Thanks for any help you can lend.

View attachment 803456

For any US nickels, use naval jelly. It's available from any hardware store.

 

[BryanM362]

For any US nickels, use naval jelly. It's available from any hardware store.

Naval Jelly is basically acid, so be careful no to leave it in too long.