Dug a V nickel yesterday:detecting:

[savage]

Greetings everyone, Yesterday I got out for a little bit, and dug a mystery coin. It was totally encapsulated with a sand crust that electrolysis wouldn't remove. It was found where an old sidewalk once was. I thought that the ground absorbed the water and lime from the cement which caused the sand to harden like that. Finally I worked patently with 000 steel wool. Did not remove all the crust, but can see that it is a 1892 V nickel. Does any know what to do to remove cemented sand? I thought about murratic acid. Happy Hunting Grounds,

Savage. (EX-II)

 

[NH Bob]

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[James N.D.]

Try soaking it in Olive Oil for a few weeks and see if it loosens it up for you to be able to remove it. If that doesn't work, you could try the Murratic Acid but I am not sure how the Nickel will turn out and if the Crud will come off. You may have to use a Grinding Wheel with a Steel Brush but I wouldn't advise you to do this. It is very dangerous and you could lose a finger or worse trying to clean the Nickel this way. Maybe a Dremel Tool! Good Luck cleaning the V-Nickel and Good Luck and HH.

 

[savage]

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[savage]

Thanks NH Bob. I'm sure their is a remedy out there

 

[savage]

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[tomtowns]

Hi Savage, next time you get something that's encapsulated in a Hard Brittle type material you might try a large diameter punch or a socket & hammer & light but sharp blows to shatter the shell, maybe a vise ???...Might work...HH...TT

 

[johnnymac]

Hi Savage I have in the past had coins encrusted with sand from salt water beaches,that I cleaned-up with vinegar. I would soak clad with clad only,pennies with pennies only. If you mix the two you end up with the clad taking up some of the copper color.
Try this on a junk coin and see how it works for you

 

[savage]

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[savage]

almost any thing to try to clean the next coin that I find encapsulated. The only bad thing is trying to identify what type it is before cordite, C-4, or a jack hammer. I would not want to mess up a rare or valuable coin. Happy Hunting Grounds,

Savage. (EX-II)

 

[jeff & Maria]

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[JimL]

I wear a leather glove, pour dish soap on the nickel, and scrub as hard as I can with a large wire brush. You have to rotate the nickel as the part held down by your thumb will need scrubbing. Then flip and repeat. Sounds harsh but I find that nickels are very hard and the corrosion comes off nice. Of course not for a valuable nickel.

This technique removes that brown crud and makes the nickel look like a coin again. Not good for any other coin type including war nickels!

Just my 5 cents.

 

[savage]

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