Long term stability of coins in slabs?

nwcs

I've been curious as I've been looking at some toned coins in PCGS slabs. How much change can we expect in a coin that has been slabbed? With exceedingly minimal air contact, can we expect that a coin will change relatively little (assuming adequate storage)? Or will reactive chemicals continue to operate on the coin's surface?

I'm asking because I have an ugly Franklin MS-65FBL that seems to look worse every time I look at it. The sneeze spots (I'm guessing) seem to get darker and larger. But it may just be my imagination.

Anyone know of any data on long term affects on coin surfaces in slabs? (tests can be done with artificial aging so we can do reasonable predictions)

Neil

TheNumish

It seems 15% of the modern $5 commems I have change colors within weeks of slabbing. I send the coins in the capsules and they are perfect when I mail them. Wish I knew why it happens.

I think sometmes coins like your Franklin Half have something that started and the process is just taking it's natural course even though it's in the slab.

Sometimes when coins have been dipped and not rinsed off well enough they turn all kind of ugly colors.

dbldie55

Copper does not do well in slabs.

RLinn

Just my personal observation from watching my own collection over the years is that ugly things do get uglier. This is that same as with unslabbed coins only at a much slower pace. I really haven't notice nearly as dramatic changes in toning although I have seen some.

nwcs

Does light affect a slab? I'm wondering, especially as I have nice bright lights when I take a pic of a coin, whether the heat from the light alters anything.

dorkkarl

any type of radiation, be it light, heat, electromagnetic, etc., will affect highly reactive metal. the question depends on how much impurity is availaible for the metal to react with.

K S

michael

you ask something that really cant have an answer as all coins for better or worse are in a state of flux in holders depending on many things

what was done to them before they were slabbed?

how was the coin stored when in a slab?

fi breaking modern coins out of their "airtight mint" mint packaging where there might be some "unseen" foreign matter on the coin as a part of the minting process and now the coin is expeosed to air and the foreign matter reacts with the coin and then is newly slabbed will this process continue or stop ??

the list goes on and on

for me i have to ask myself when i look at a coin

has it been dipped? properly rinsed? etc etc
have others had problems with this type of coin changing in the holder?
where has this coin been or waht might have been done to it based on the surfaces before slabbing?
how was this coin sotred since slabbing and how am i going to store this coin?
waht outside environmental influences are there in this slab from where i am going to keep it?
i guess the list goes on an on

and many questions i guess cant be answered with a sure thing it is all up to the buyer based on his experience and waht he is looking at to make a dertrmination and eben if the determniation is correct then it hinges on how thew coins will be stored!



sincerely michael

Steve27

I would hope that PCGS did a little research on the slab material before using it to slab millions of coins, because there may be some outgassing from the plastic which could cause additional toning.

wallstreetman

I just sent back a 2002 Silver Proof Set because the Dime is as cloudy as any Ive ever seen slabbed or raw!

coinguy1

nwcs -

First, let me state, for the record, that I am not completely unbiased (I own a small share of one of the distributorships - I wont even mention which one, as my intention is not to sell you or anyone on this, but merely to inform).

However, I would recommend that you go to the following website to read about Intercept Shield products for protection of coins, both uncertified and certified: www.interceptshield.com

I doubt that any coin protection is perfect, but I believe this to be the best available. I will leave it at that.