So on one of my FB groups there was a new guy(new to detecting) who said he found these. The only thing he did was put them in water for a long time. I'm thinking found in a coin store or in his collection. I just didn't want to call him out as everyone else was congratulating him on his first finds. I thought about a subtle hint to what I think, but didn't follow through. I've never dug a Buffalo Nickel in this condition, how about you? The SLQ has some odd toning for a dug coin in the Midwest. I have silver darkener for my silversmithing that will do this. What do you all think? or am I just a party pooper?
This is curious
- Thread starter BB67
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jruckman38
Elite Member
I never dug one that clean. But you say he had them in water for a long time. Don’t know if this helped it look so clean.
Water would not do that. If it could all of our buffalo's and V nickels would be like that. Hell, my first Buffalo Nickel was toasted and I was told if I wanted it white again I could use peroxide and vinegar. It turned it nickel color again, but it was porous and rough to the touch. Since then I just leave them all natural, just clean the dirt off. Now my war nickels come out close to the shinny condition, but they even have some corrosion from the metal composition.
amc rulz
Forum Supporter
It would bother me more to be in a FB group.
I'm only on FB for my groups. If this is the way they are headed then I'm going to be short lived. I'll pop smoke and be gone. Some of them are pretty informative. My E-Trac group is very knowledgeable. There is some good info over there on the frequency's used on each noise cancel channel. I dip into the local groups to see if anyone is onto my honey holes. Counter intel...lol.
markinswpa
Forum Supporter
The quarter looks about right. The nickel, most dug nickels are red or green however I have seen a couple posted here that still retained their nickel color. You never know what the soil will do to a coin or relic. Mark
Captain Silver
Elite Member
Those were not found in the ground...
Thank you! Artificial toning on the SLQ and that nickel hasn't seen dirt.
Stiffwrists
Elite Member
They don't look like they are from the ground, but who knows? Maybe fresh drops or odd circumstances. I'd just say nice find! And not think too much about it.
cellrdwellr
Elite Member
Sand and soil can make a BIG difference in terms of corrosion. Regardless, I doubt those coins were found in the ground. I'm assuming the OP is talking about Liver of sulphur, which is used to "antique" silver. It doesnt look antiqued to me, looks more like a sharpie was taken to it, and then lightly scrubbed to make it look like it has patina or is tarnished. I try not to doubt any finds I dont have evidence to back that doubt with. Someone else will come along and call him out I'm sure!
EmuDetector
Forum Supporter
Soils are funny to different coins. Even in my area the different patches in the same wood line corrode everything so different. But what stands out to me is the SLQ's eagle is dirty. I have only ever found one, that came out of the dirt almost spotless, but looking at others here it seems like the high relief of the eagle is usually the clean spot, where the low portions are dark. But things can happen.
Here is mine with no cleaning other than wiping the dirt clod off of it.
Here is mine with no cleaning other than wiping the dirt clod off of it.
Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
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- Dec 23, 2013
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^ x2. Silver can come out nice (yet that looks strange, not dug anyhow). But the nickels will never come out like that. The ONLY time I've ever found nickels that nice, were if they were under structures (like old-town urban demolition tearouts), and thus protected from all moisture for 100 yrs.
The only other way is if he cleaned them. But no, not simply dropping them in water. Something's fishy.
Follow up
Well, I think he's just a lonely person. First he posted they were encrusted in dirt and thrown into water. I posted about them being in odd condition...etc(I just couldn't keep my mouth shut
) and he replied that they must of been lost because they were sitting on top of the ground. Then his next sentence said the SLQ was just about an inch down. He's harmless and I hope he finds some good stuff down the road. Most of all, I hope he's happy.
Well, I think he's just a lonely person. First he posted they were encrusted in dirt and thrown into water. I posted about them being in odd condition...etc(I just couldn't keep my mouth shut
) and he replied that they must of been lost because they were sitting on top of the ground. Then his next sentence said the SLQ was just about an inch down. He's harmless and I hope he finds some good stuff down the road. Most of all, I hope he's happy.JAX makes a silver darkner that I use. It doesn't smell like the LOS does. It keeps for a very long time and can be reused. Does the same thing.
War Nickels and store bought Buffalo's are clean like that. I would have to take a soft wire wheel on my flex shaft to get the corrosion off, then polish to get that look. Which I would never do to a dug coin unless I was making a pendant or ring out of it. I dug a 1918 D buffalo that I believe is an 8 over a 7 error coin. I believe the only way for me to get a good enough look at it, is to ruin it. So I just keep it and imagine I'm right.
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diggin4clad
Elite Member
I seriously doubt that the Buffalo was in the ground. The quarter MAYBE....but the black stuff on the coin looks like a greasy substance which puts me thinking 99.9% it wasn't in the ground. Wait until he posts a few more suspicious looking coins before you call him out.
dixiedigger57
Elite Member
different soils do strange stuff. i find mercs in a lake thats yearly lowered to clean edges for camp swimmers. been there since the 20's. the mercs in the sandy bottom will come up gun metal blue on one side and silver on the other. the water is full of tannins. black on surface and crystal clear a few inches down. the dry ground around it they come up shiny. i actually found a no date buff yesterday that came up greenish in the soil. a regular nickel the same way. the nickels come up rusted from the water. war nickels not so bad with the silver content. the silver rings in the mucky muck under the dives come up blackened dirty looking.
ya harmless guy. let him be . maybe just trying to fit in somewhere and needs it.
ya harmless guy. let him be . maybe just trying to fit in somewhere and needs it.
medicchief
Forum Supporter
I think I would just let him be too. It has made for a good discussion though! I used to get worked up over stuff like this, as well as having major trust issues. Calling people out on stuff (politics especially) is something I've had to let go of......for another day at least!
I rarely call people out,doesn,t do them or me any good at all and I usually would find myself feeling bad about it especially if it busted their bubble about something.Now I just go on about my business and leave them to theirs.feel free to disagree,I don,t mind at all.
