Why doesn't "Nic a date" restore dates permenantly???
 

I've been googleing "nic a date" posts, and from what I can tell, the
date appears on the nickel when you put a drop on there but it's only
temporary and the date vanishes again after a while, after you wash the
drop off.

This is too bad. Does anybody have any methods of making the date stay
"readable" on the nickel permenantly? Like instead of rinsing the drop
away with water, you rinse it away with something else that will
neutralize the acid or something and leave the date on the nickel?

I'm not suggesting that I'd try to pass of my nickels as regular dated
nickels or anything, it's just that I don't want to go through all the
trouble of recovering dates only to have them disappear again.

Any and all info greatly appreciated. THANKS!

Why doesn't "Nic a date" restore dates permenantly???
 

On 16 May 2006 01:25:52 -0700, "The Space Boss"
wrote:

I've been googleing "nic a date" posts, and from what I can tell, the
date appears on the nickel when you put a drop on there but it's only
temporary and the date vanishes again after a while, after you wash the
drop off.

This is too bad. Does anybody have any methods of making the date stay
"readable" on the nickel permenantly? Like instead of rinsing the drop
away with water, you rinse it away with something else that will
neutralize the acid or something and leave the date on the nickel?

I'm not suggesting that I'd try to pass of my nickels as regular dated
nickels or anything, it's just that I don't want to go through all the
trouble of recovering dates only to have them disappear again.

Any and all info greatly appreciated. THANKS!

I have found obviously nic-a-dated coins in circulation, with the date
still readable, so I have no idea what the googled information could
have been talking about.


Reclining Buddha

The Original Couch Potato!

Why doesn't "Nic a date" restore dates permenantly???
 

"The Space Boss" wrote in message
oups.com...
I've been googleing "nic a date" posts, and from what I can tell, the
date appears on the nickel when you put a drop on there but it's only
temporary and the date vanishes again after a while, after you wash the
drop off.


I don't think this is accurate. Anyway, I have never seen an acid treated
nickel that I couldn't read the date. My understanding is that the date
appears when treated with acid because of the difference in how more
compacted the alloy is at the date than the surrounding area around the
date, allowing for more molecular metal removal around the date than on the
date (of course, my terminology is layman's).

I have heard of "nic a date" since a pre-teen and have never heard of it
being temporary.

Bill

Why doesn't "Nic a date" restore dates permenantly???
 

Reclining Buddha wrote:


I have found obviously nic-a-dated coins in circulation, with the date
still readable, so I have no idea what the googled information could
have been talking about.


right he
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.c...dd34bd6a24df0c

"In my paper route days I would occasionally find a dateless Buffalo
Nickel in circulation, and bought quite a few more at the local coin
shop for 7 cents each. I used to spend Saturday afternoons dropping
an amber-colored acid called "Nic-a-date" on Fair to AG nickels. This
afternoon, I found my 30-year-old bottle of "Nic-a-date" and restored
the date of one of the Liberty Nickels -- 1890. "Nic-a-date" leaves a
whitish area on the coin after you wash off the drop, and the restored
date tends to vanish before the whitish stain turns brown. Still, it
can be a lot of fun finding semi-key dates, even though the proof is
temporary. "

Why doesn't "Nic a date" restore dates permenantly???
 

"The Space Boss" wrote in message
oups.com...

Reclining Buddha wrote:


I have found obviously nic-a-dated coins in circulation, with the date
still readable, so I have no idea what the googled information could
have been talking about.


right he
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.c...dd34bd6a24df0c

"In my paper route days I would occasionally find a dateless Buffalo
Nickel in circulation, and bought quite a few more at the local coin
shop for 7 cents each. I used to spend Saturday afternoons dropping
an amber-colored acid called "Nic-a-date" on Fair to AG nickels. This
afternoon, I found my 30-year-old bottle of "Nic-a-date" and restored
the date of one of the Liberty Nickels -- 1890. "Nic-a-date" leaves a
whitish area on the coin after you wash off the drop, and the restored
date tends to vanish before the whitish stain turns brown. Still, it
can be a lot of fun finding semi-key dates, even though the proof is
temporary. "

The first falsehood is the "amber" color.

Mr. Jaggers

Why doesn't "Nic a date" restore dates permenantly???
 

I don't recall the date disappearing after using nic-a-date on a few
dateless nickels.

An interesting side note is that the acid in nic-a-date is the same stuff
that is used to etch circuit boards for electronic devices. I've used that
to bring up dates on old buffs. You can buy it by the pint or quart in
places like Radio Shack for about the same price as a small bottle of
nic-a-date.

Because it is used to etch the copper circuit boards, you can probably use
it to remove the copper plating on a zinc Lincoln cent. I don't know how it
would react with the zinc. But I can imagine that a little bit of photo
resist strategically placed on the coin will allow you to get some
interesting patterns.

As usual, when using acids, adequate precautions should be used to protect
the skin, eyes and clothing. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure.


--
Richard
My coin Links:
http://coins.richlh.com/Coins/MyCoinLinks.htm


"The Space Boss" wrote in message
oups.com...
I've been googleing "nic a date" posts, and from what I can tell, the
date appears on the nickel when you put a drop on there but it's only
temporary and the date vanishes again after a while, after you wash the
drop off.

This is too bad. Does anybody have any methods of making the date stay
"readable" on the nickel permenantly? Like instead of rinsing the drop
away with water, you rinse it away with something else that will
neutralize the acid or something and leave the date on the nickel?

I'm not suggesting that I'd try to pass of my nickels as regular dated
nickels or anything, it's just that I don't want to go through all the
trouble of recovering dates only to have them disappear again.

Any and all info greatly appreciated. THANKS!

Why doesn't "Nic a date" restore dates permenantly???
 

"Richard L. Hall" wrote in message
...
I don't recall the date disappearing after using nic-a-date on a few
dateless nickels.

As a kid, I remember using that on the buffalo nickels that were still in
circulation in the 1960s. The restored date looked like a photographic
negative and indeed would rub off.

Why doesn't "Nic a date" restore dates permenantly???
 

i still have some of the buffalos i found way back in the late fifties, as a
kid . I used nic-a-date on them, i still have them stored in the small
envelopes i bought that were cheaper than the 2x2 holders......... the dates
have indeed disappeared. i have a few 13d type twos and 13s type twos and
at least one 14d (written on the small envelopes) but the dates on the
nickels are long gone.

sr









"Richard L. Hall" wrote in message
...
I don't recall the date disappearing after using nic-a-date on a few
dateless nickels.

An interesting side note is that the acid in nic-a-date is the same stuff
that is used to etch circuit boards for electronic devices. I've used
that to bring up dates on old buffs. You can buy it by the pint or quart
in places like Radio Shack for about the same price as a small bottle of
nic-a-date.

Because it is used to etch the copper circuit boards, you can probably use
it to remove the copper plating on a zinc Lincoln cent. I don't know how
it would react with the zinc. But I can imagine that a little bit of
photo resist strategically placed on the coin will allow you to get some
interesting patterns.

As usual, when using acids, adequate precautions should be used to protect
the skin, eyes and clothing. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure.


--
Richard
My coin Links:
http://coins.richlh.com/Coins/MyCoinLinks.htm


"The Space Boss" wrote in message
oups.com...
I've been googleing "nic a date" posts, and from what I can tell, the
date appears on the nickel when you put a drop on there but it's only
temporary and the date vanishes again after a while, after you wash the
drop off.

This is too bad. Does anybody have any methods of making the date stay
"readable" on the nickel permenantly? Like instead of rinsing the drop
away with water, you rinse it away with something else that will
neutralize the acid or something and leave the date on the nickel?

I'm not suggesting that I'd try to pass of my nickels as regular dated
nickels or anything, it's just that I don't want to go through all the
trouble of recovering dates only to have them disappear again.

Any and all info greatly appreciated. THANKS!