Sheild nickel ?

[Dixie Rebel]

Went back to my honey hole for a few hrs and dug this. From what I can see it looks like a shield nickel and it is old. I have it soaking in olive oil. I got a 12-12 - 12-13 at 6 inches thinking a buffalo nickel. It was pretty well crusted looked like a nickel to me. I rubbed it some and noticed it was different . So to avoid messing it up I washed it with warm water now soaking in olive oil. What would be a good way to clean this coin ? Sorry for the bad pics cell phone camera.

[Tony Two-Cent]

It's definitely a shield nickel! thumbsup01

The date would be on the other side, below the shield. As for cleaning it, I'm afraid there's not much that can be done with nickels that won't destroy any remaining details as well. Soaking it in olive oil might be that only advisable method.

Very cool find anyway! :clapping:

[Dixie Rebel]

Awww man I did not want to hear that lol. Well maybe I will dig another one in much better shape. So far all the buffs and Wheaties I've dug have been pretty funky. The silver is the only thing that comes out of the ground looking pretty :smitten: You know I am still working the front yard and working it slowly . Trying to get all the iron out so I can get to the goodies. Think I will be here for awhile.

[Spike]

Sweet nickel thumbsup01 but they sure dont hold up well crying01

[Dixie Rebel]

Cleaned it up some but it is too far gone crying01 It looks to be 1867 or 1868 looking under a magnifying glass. That is the oldest coin to date I have found. Well I am still happy cant always win.

[RaZR]

:perfect10: Great find! And Tony's right trying to clean them up just makes them worse.
I found one last month and tried to clean it up. It looks pretty bad now. Removing the corroded parts takes away alot of the detail. I just say it's between 1866 + 1883. :yes:

Just wipe it off and put it in a coin holder and look at it from time to time. :)

[aloldstuff]

Excellent find,, they don't pop up out of the ground that often. When they do they are always crusted, just like your. Congrats on a great find. I am in agreement about the cleaning, usually makes them worse.

[RobW]

GREAT find....it's true they don't sufsce too often...great find!

[milco]

Congrats on that shield nickel!

[Ill Digger]

My oldest nickle is a shield too. I can't make out the date on mine either. :rolleyes:
Do you think they could make the date any smaller?! :rolleyes: 8/ >:# lol
But we know it's a nickle. :yes: We know it's a shield, :yes: We know it's old. :yes: And we know its cool! :yes: :cool: <:
And a hard to come by find I might add !! :clapping:
Big congrats on that one!! :grin:

[randy]

Nice find. I've heard olive oil is more for coppers, not nickels. Nickels take something mildly acidic like ketchup, lemon juice, or Worcestershire sauce. I think once you've done the olive oil tho, those methods don't work. But I think it cleaned up pretty nice, considering where it started. thumbsup01