Nic-A-Date

[bigmanSAM88]

Saw this stuff and was wondering if anyone had experience with it and knew if it actually works. I have some dateless buffalo's that I'm just looking to have some fun with. Thanks in advance, Sam

[MunkyMan95]

It works.

[dooly]

[bsshog40]

Let me know how it works out Sam.

[PerryHall]

If you're lucky, you may find a 1916 DDO or a 1918/7-D. Even nic-a-dated pieces can bring a couple hundred on eBay.

[James_OldeTowne]

It does work. There are some guys who specialize in nic-a-dating dateless buffs.

[Lem]

Forgive me for my ignorance, I thought this was some kind of joke, but this stuff is real!!! Now how does it work?? :confused:

[bigmanSAM88]

Lem- I thought the same thing when I first saw the bottle that it comes in but then I realized that it actually was a product to restore the dates on nickels. If I understand correctly there is acid in Nic-A-Date that raises the date of the coin. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[bsshog40]

I think you're right Sam. It does have an acid to it. I have heard that if done wrong can mess up the Buffalo. Might wanna be careful, cause you don't know what date it might be.

[thebeav]

Hi Guys,

It's the nitric acid in there that does the trick (so, even plain nitric will do this).

You'll probably only want to bother with MM buffs, as there isn't an acid dated P mint that's worth a darn. I found an 18/17 about 30 years ago and got a buck and a half for it at that time. I did send it to ANACS first (remember those old photo certs?).

 

Paul

[supertooth]

Sam---- Used to get dateless Buffs out of change as a kid. Got soooo mad cause they had no dates. Bought some of the stuff and it really does work. Actually got a couple of mint marked coins that I needed. The key here is to not leave the stuff on past when you can see the date. In this case, more time is NOT good. The acid will continue to work---and make it worse.

 

As soon as you can see the date---STOP---rinse with distilled water or a mild basic solution---then rinse some more. Must neutralize the acid. Sort of a lot of fun to do---as the dateless coins are worth virtually nothing anyway.

 

Have heard that a lot of guys do the entire surface of the coin----practice on P mints first. Then, it does not have that acid spot just on the date. Am sure this was tried just to fool future owners of the coin. Good luck. Bob [supertooth]

[jesbroken]

Back in the 70's or 80's I bought several rolls of dateless buffs just to play around with, used the very brand that dooly posted. Works like a champ but looks like ***stuff***. You will notice on Ebay buffs are sometime notated as "date restored", this is what it usually means. Although I have heard of a new process that like a real fine sandtype blaster that does the whole coin. I have several of these coins bought in error and they look ok at a glance until you look close and then they are grainy and all cameos are rounded without any sharp corners. The following are two photos that 1) show Nic-O-Date I used about 20 some years ago on a 1915 d dateless coin. Hopefully you will barely be able to make out the 15 2) this is a 1923 buff that someone else used the other procedure on the whole coin to bring out all features. If only the grainy and striated look weren't there it would be a success. Hope this helps.

 

[BillJones]

The stuff works, but it’s my understanding that it might not work forever. I’ve heard that the dates can disappear over time. While there is a market for scarce acid date Buffalo nickels, it is a limited one. I would advice collectors to stay away from these things unless you absolutely can’t afford anything any better.

[TomB]

It works because the acid in the product will dissolve some metal on the surface while leaving other portions relatively intact. The metal on a coin's surface is not all of the same hardness, due to striking pressure of the raised fields and recessed devices on a die making impact with the planchet. This small difference in hardness will allow the date to appear in very shallow relief.

[ant]

isnt that the stuff the cops use to raise the filed down serial numbers on guns?

[TomB]

It's the same type of process.

[DJCoinz]

The stuff works, but it’s my understanding that it might not work forever. I’ve heard that the dates can disappear over time. While there is a market for scarce acid date Buffalo nickels, it is a limited one. I would advice collectors to stay away from these things unless you absolutely can’t afford anything any better.

Unless the acid wasn't completely neutralized I don't understand how that could happen.

[jesbroken]

The several buff nickels that I have left over from 20 or so years ago have not changed nor lost any of the date appearance gained by the treatment. T'hat is not definitive but is factual.

[TJ'S Coins]

Would Nic-A-Date work on Mercury Dimes to discern mint marks?

[Bruceswar]

It only works on Nickel.

[James_OldeTowne]

It only works on Nickel.

Bruce is correct. From what I understand, copper and silver metal are too soft for the nic-a-date concept to work. It should, however, work on Liberty and Shield nickels, and three-cent nickels, though those coins don't generally suffer from the date wear that Buffalos do.

 

I'd guess it might work on clad coinage, too.

[Conder101]

It will "work" on silver, but most likely you won't be able to see the result. Most silver compounds are very light sensitive and instantly turn dead black. Silver Chloride is much less reactive and will tend to stay white, but is also fairly insoluable, so the reaction product again tends to stay in place and again tends to hide the result of the reaction. (And eventually it will still turn black.)

[PerryHall]

Nick-a-date doesn't work on silver coins so don't waste your time trying to raise the date on your type 1 SLQ.