AirmetTango
Forum Supporter
I was ecstatic to find my first shield nickel today while hunting at an old one-room school site! The same site had given up a Flying Eagle cent late in the hunt yesterday after a slow start, and it was slow going initially again today. Just prior to hitting on the Shield, the 71 year old property owner had come up and asked how it was going, and I had nothing to show but another clad nickel and shotgun shell headstamp. He was still cutting wood nearby (did I mention he was 71??) when I unearthed the Shield, and I was so excited, I immediately brought it over to show him – and I think he was just as excited as I was! I found it along the edge of a pile of logs that he had sitting on the site, and he immediately offered to move the logs with his tractor so I could search underneath the next time I come out!
Anyway, I think the Shield is in pretty nice condition as far as old nickels go – the pictures below show it as it came out of the ground, and then after using a gentle toothbrush with dish soap and water. The obverse looks absolutely fantastic! The reverse, though, is a little rough – and the date is essentially impossible to read. In the pictures, you can just barely make out the 8 in 18--. So that leads to the inevitable dilemma: should I try another cleaning technique to try and bring out the date, or just leave it alone?
To tell the truth, if the full date was even remotely readable on the reverse, I wouldn’t touch this coin any further – I’d be extremely happy with it just the way it is. But if there’s a good technique that will allow the date to be revealed, I’d consider giving it a shot. Does anyone have any suggestions? I’m familiar with the SOS pad technique described by goes4ever (http://www.goes4ever.com/cleaning-your-finds.html), but I haven’t used it on anything other than a Jefferson as a test and detail wasn't an issue. Does anyone have experience with this technique for revealing dates on a coin that was otherwise unreadable?
So, for the tldr folks, here’s the condensed version: 1) Would you try cleaning this coin further in an attempt to reveal a date or just enjoy it as it is with the knowledge that it’s at least 130+ years old? 2) If you would clean, which technique do you think has the best likelihood to bring out a readable date with the least amount of damage?
Shield Nickel before cleaning with dishsoap and water:
After cleaning with soap and water:
Anyway, I think the Shield is in pretty nice condition as far as old nickels go – the pictures below show it as it came out of the ground, and then after using a gentle toothbrush with dish soap and water. The obverse looks absolutely fantastic! The reverse, though, is a little rough – and the date is essentially impossible to read. In the pictures, you can just barely make out the 8 in 18--. So that leads to the inevitable dilemma: should I try another cleaning technique to try and bring out the date, or just leave it alone?
To tell the truth, if the full date was even remotely readable on the reverse, I wouldn’t touch this coin any further – I’d be extremely happy with it just the way it is. But if there’s a good technique that will allow the date to be revealed, I’d consider giving it a shot. Does anyone have any suggestions? I’m familiar with the SOS pad technique described by goes4ever (http://www.goes4ever.com/cleaning-your-finds.html), but I haven’t used it on anything other than a Jefferson as a test and detail wasn't an issue. Does anyone have experience with this technique for revealing dates on a coin that was otherwise unreadable?
So, for the tldr folks, here’s the condensed version: 1) Would you try cleaning this coin further in an attempt to reveal a date or just enjoy it as it is with the knowledge that it’s at least 130+ years old? 2) If you would clean, which technique do you think has the best likelihood to bring out a readable date with the least amount of damage?
Shield Nickel before cleaning with dishsoap and water:
After cleaning with soap and water:
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