My First Silver

Jdjeff

New Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2020
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13
Location
Berks County PA
After searching this sports park over the last 2 weeks and coming up with one clad after another, this one blew me away. Still new at this so this helps to keep me in the game. Any suggestions on how to get the black stuff off?
 

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A Barber quarter is a fantastic first silver, and it's hard to imagine there's not more out there if you've just been at this a few weeks.

I think it looks good as is, especially the details, but an easy and common method to make it shine is to mix baking soda and water into a paste in the palm of your hand, and then add the coin and rub. The mixture will turn black and you just make another batch and repeat until you're happy.
 
Just like ToySoldier said. Baking soda and water paste will shine that right up. I think the black on that coin looks really nice though. I've dug some that the black is not that uniform. I have no qualms about shining those up.

Does it have a mint mark? I can almost see one. An O or S are much smaller mintages.
 
Just like ToySoldier said. Baking soda and water paste will shine that right up. I think the black on that coin looks really nice though. I've dug some that the black is not that uniform. I have no qualms about shining those up.

Does it have a mint mark? I can almost see one. An O or S are much smaller mintages.

It looks like there wants to be a mint mark but I'm going to say no mint mark. I think if there was one it would be pretty obvious with the detail in this coin.

Yeah I think the black looks pretty nice on the face of the coin, but it's hard to read the back otherwise. I'll try the baking soda trick.
 

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It looks like there wants to be a mint mark but I'm going to say no mint mark. I think if there was one it would be pretty obvious with the detail in this coin.

Agree. I think what appears to be an "O" on the back is an illusion. Otherwise, it would be a tail feather or two too far to the right.
 
Nice first silver!
I found several silver coins over the years, rosies,mercs, Washington quarters,Big Bens and Walkers, a seated dime and even a Peace dollar but a Barber silver coin always eluded me.
Just a dime was all I asked for, it became my white whale because I should have found at least one after years of searching for it but never did.
Then one day out of the blue in a totally hunted park a Barber quarter popped up.
1899...so a first silver Barber, a first quarter and into the 1800's all in one shot.
Just thrilled to death as you should be.
Since then a few dimes came my way but that quarter will always be more special.

Wonderful find, fantastic, really, as a newbie first...enjoy it!
 
Congrats on a really nice coin! And double congrats on your first silver!!
Even with the black tarnish there is excellent detail. Great recovery!
 
So just out of curiosity. Why is the overwhelming response lean towards not cleaning the black stuff off the quarter. My initial reaction was to get it back as close to original as possible. Yet there seems to be a general consensus to leave it alone. No offense meant by this question, just wondering. Thanks!
 
So just out of curiosity. Why is the overwhelming response lean towards not cleaning the black stuff off the quarter. My initial reaction was to get it back as close to original as possible. Yet there seems to be a general consensus to leave it alone. No offense meant by this question, just wondering. Thanks!

I leave em alone minus a rinse/ soak in distilled water(unless it is so trashed it nothing could really hurt it), but unless its a super rare coin it is really up to your preference.
 
Its up to the individual whether they want it nice and shiny or as found. I found a 1907 that is black from being exposed to the water for a few years. I like the way it looked when i found it. So it has not been cleaned.
 
What ? Your first silver was a barber quarter ?? That's just not right. You're supposed to do it in date order, like the rest of us had to do. Eg.: First a roosie, then a merc, and THEN a barber. Or a washington quarter first, and THEN a barber quarter. Tsk tsk. So go do the right thing, and re-bury that coin back in the field, and do it in date order. No skipping to the head of the class ! :cool3:

As for cleaning it : Spit on (or heavily lick) the shiny side of tin-foil. Put the coin sandwiched in the tin foil . After 5 min. or so, take out and rub. Repeat as necessary.
 
Congrats! That is a really nice first silver!

I've found 20 silver coins so far this year and yet I'm still looking for my first Barber. I actually found a seated dime but the Barber still eludes me.

That is definitely a coin to keep you motivated.
 
So just out of curiosity. Why is the overwhelming response lean towards not cleaning the black stuff off the quarter........

Before you clean any coin you should check online to make sure it isn't particularly valuable. Cleaning, or unskilled cleaning, could further diminish the value. So, that's part of it.

In addition, some people like for their dug coins to look like they were dug. I forget who said it, but this quote sums it up: "Why go through all the trouble of digging up a coin only to make it look like you didn't?" In other words, you can buy shiny coins in a shop.

Another reason is that many worn coins show better detail when they have some dirt and patina. Something you can't replace once you rub it off. "Toothpicking" is a popular way to clean the raised parts of the coin while still leaving dirt in the recesses to show contrast.

For me, it depends on the coin. It never hurts to slow down and wait either.

So, it depends. They're your coins, so do what makes you happy.
 
That is a beautiful coin. I do like the patina, but I would have to try to clean it up. Just think it looks better, but that's JMO. Thanks for sharing, awesome find.
 
Before you clean any coin you should check online to make sure it isn't particularly valuable. Cleaning, or unskilled cleaning, could further diminish the value. So, that's part of it.

In addition, some people like for their dug coins to look like they were dug. I forget who said it, but this quote sums it up: "Why go through all the trouble of digging up a coin only to make it look like you didn't?" In other words, you can buy shiny coins in a shop.

Another reason is that many worn coins show better detail when they have some dirt and patina. Something you can't replace once you rub it off. "Toothpicking" is a popular way to clean the raised parts of the coin while still leaving dirt in the recesses to show contrast.

For me, it depends on the coin. It never hurts to slow down and wait either.

So, it depends. They're your coins, so do what makes you happy.

This is the common mantra . Ie.: "never clean your coins", blah blah. No doubt born out of horror stories of persons who cleaned grandmas gold coins with Ajax, or whatever.

But the ugly reality is, that we will often-time get laughed out of coin stores if we show up some of the cr*p we find . I read a story of a guy who found a bunch of old coins, and tried to sell them to a local coin dealer. The dealer offered him only a pittance. When the seller objected and said that the book showed that they were rare, the dealer explained that his coins were toasted, dirty, corroded, etc....

Dismayed, the fellow went back home and let the coins sit for a year. A year later, he pulled them back out and studied them further. He figured that since they weren't worth much, then he had nothing to loose to clean them himself, for his own personal displays. He studied all the various cleaning methods, practiced on common coins, and decided on the method that left the least trace of one's effort (I forget which method).

After cleaning his coins, he took them back into the same dealer, who had brushed him off a year earlier. He could see that the same clerk was waiting on him this time (but who didn't recall/remember him). And THIS time , after the clerk consulting his books, started offering him more $$ for the very same coins.

So as you can see, it's not always the mantra of "never clean your coins". It's more a question of HOW you clean them.
 
Most dug silver are already heavily loaded with microscopic hairline scratches, reducing numismatic value. Rubbing the coin with abrasive baking soda will either add more scratches, or repeated action will polish the coin, so...

I’ve always thought that it’s the finder’s coin, to do whatever they wish.
 
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