For those who have had coins tone while in their possession

Wardhaines

I'm talking about toning without help other than toning by the way they were stored. Just how were they stored (in what and for how long). I just wonder if everyone spending multiples for the toned coins will one day have them turn black it they aren't very careful. This is the reason why I haven't been interested in toned coins.

CharlieB

Off the top of my head I had a 1928-S SLQ that was a blast white when
I bought it and after several years in a safe deposit box and in a cotton
2x2 it toned an iridescent over the entire coin. Can't explain it. Maybe
the exposure to a Sulpher compound occurred prior to my purchase or
the wrapped paper rolls of coins I had in the box near it did the trick.
In this case the value greatly increased and I sold it for a premium
last year. The buyer sold it for another premium. None of my other coins
in the box were ever affected that way, especially the ones in cotton
2x2's.

- Charlie B -

Higashiyama

This is not answering the question you asked, but I am amazed at how little coins have toned in my possession. I have MS Morgan dollars and other silver coins that have been sitting around in envelopes for 35 years with little apparent change. It makes me wonder what percentage of toned coins have been helped along a little bit.

DDR

I put together a high grade circulated (EF-AU) type set of 19th century coins. I've had them in a Capital plastics holder for about 5 years. However, for part of that 5 years I stored them --coins and plastic holder-- in the original cardboard box with tissue paper that the plastic holder came in. Some of the silver issues have now toned dark around the rims, which gives them a nice contrast and actually makes them more appealing than when I first purchased them. The Shield and Liberty nickels have become a bit splotchy, though.

crito

I've had blast white coins in staple 2x2's that are still blast white 20 years later. Put together a computer desk bought at staples last year, made of laminated particle board. Threw a bunch of junk silver coins (mostly Mercs) in the drawer and a few months later they've all turned purple and blue. Think the age of the paper/wood is a factor too. Probably gives off less gas as it ages.

Morganluver

Higashiyama

What part of the country do you live in and what kinds of temperature and humidity do you have?

coynclecter

I had a silver 3 cent piece in a PCGS ms63 holder. It had a nice rainbow toning. It sat in my safe deposit box for 5 years during which time it went to a dark grey/black. I like toned coins but will not pay a heavy premium, they don't always stay attractive. Maybe most times they will, but if they go dark you can always dip them, but now you lost your premium.

It may just have been a rare happening but its one of my experiences and we all have to make judgements based on our experiences.

Coyn

prooflike

I had 20 circulated Mercury dimes in a Whitman folder since the early 70's and they toned dark with beautiful rainbow sheens over the urfaces. Except for 2, the reverses did not tone. The two best looking ones were the 24-D & 24-S. A couple of the reverse had heavy black buildup in areas for some reason. I have since moved them to 2x2's since I did not want the to get any darker.

Higashiyama

Morganluver --

For about 25 years, the coins were in the Northeast US, so the summers were somewhat hot and humid. After that, Western Washington, which, in spite of the rain has low humidity. The Morgans are not purely white -- they are very lightly toned -- but they seem very stable, and don't seem to be taking on either attractive or ugly colors.

silverandvinyl

I've only had 4 coins toned naturally.The first one was a 1798 bust dime Ive had for 50 years.Over the years it has turned a dull gold color.It's been stored in a lot of different areas mostly in little boxes,envelopes and sometimes in open areas. I have some 50d jeffs that are toning (they been in the 2+2 holders).I have 5 ASE that are toning around the edges.These are in the original folders from Littleton.(1997)

oreville

I have a group of early enough (1927 to 1940) lincoln cents that did not tone at all because I have kept them in mineral oil for 33 years, first in tubes then in individual hard plastic snap locs.

Nearly 10 of these years these coins were stored in New York City safe deposit boxes.

The mineral oil locked out any air and the coins remain their perfect copper red (ok some of the 1920's issues have that brassy color).

I also have another partial set of these early lincoln cents that have toned appreciably because they were not protected in the same manner.

IrishMike

Most of us will be long dead before those toned coins turn black. I have a set of lincolns stored in a new Whitman album with sliders, I noticed this morning that about a dozen of them are developing album tab toning, I think I will leave them there, will post some pictures when I get my camera back from Nikon.

dorkkarl

i store white coins in wayte-raymond boards, hoping they'll get that rainbow effect. a couple have paid off slightly, but nothing to dramatic. how much air gets to a coin's surface definitely has a lot to do with how much it'll tone, or how much chemical reaction the surfaces get.

K S

Morganluver

Higashiyama


That's very interesting. I live in Florida, and I've had some coins in what I believe they call Kraft 2X2 manilla envelopes sitting on my window sill. Some of the coins(mostly Morgans) have toned dramatically while others have toned very little. We have lots of heat and humidity but at least 5 months out of the year I have the air running with very little change in the heat and humidity.

What kind of envelopes did you have them in and where (box, drawer, etc.) did you store them?

Thanks

Higashiyama

Morganluver -

They are those 2 x 2 manila envelopes that people used to store coins in! What is most amazing to me -- the coins belonged to my grandfather, and were in his store when the store was destroyed by fire in the mid-60s. The coins were salvaged with no damage, but the envelopes have since been discolored by dark soot. It is hard to believe that the coins remains in decent shape and mostly untoned!

Morganluver

Ok. It gets more interesting. If the envelopes are that old the sulfur would have leached out long ago which would explain why they are not toning now. However, I would think that being exposed to heat from a fire would have induced some kind of chemical reaction(toning). One other comment. Oxygen is necessary to oxidize or tone and fire burns up oxygen. So maybe there wasn't enough oxygen left to allow a chemical reaction with the sulfur in the paper. I'll bet if you put them in fresh envelopes they would tone. Just my thoughts.

Placid

I have some raw coins in a shoe box and I put garlic in the box to keep vampires away.
Maybe the high sulphur content of garlic will also tone the coins.

ArtR

<< <i>I've had some coins in what I believe they call Kraft 2X2 manilla envelopes sitting on my window sill. Some of the coins(mostly Morgans) have toned dramatically while others have toned very little >>


I was wondering where all your toned coins came from. Now I Know.

nwcs

I've had several coins toned, usually in different situations. Some proof coins have toned in the original holders. Thing is, only several years have done that (1989/1990) but other proof coins stored in the same way have not. I've decided to let it proceed however nature makes it. Also, some of my other coins in the album (in flips in plastic album, stored with proofs) have acquired light toning. One previously dipped coin has retoned some. I don't know how far the toning will go, but I'm sure it'll eventually look good then bad.

Hellion

I had some bright white coins in NGC slabs (3- MS-65 Walkers & 1- MS-64 Seated Dime) that turned blacker than a crow's butt. They were in a safe deposit box for about 4 years. None of my PCGS or ANACS slabbed coins, or those in 2x2's did that. Needless to say, I wasn't too happy about it.

I moved my coins to another bank and haven't noticed anything unusual over the last 5 years. Although I have bought a few NGC coins since then and haven't noticed any toning, the experience has left me wary of NGC.

Also, during this same time I noticed that most of the proof coins in my Dansco type book started getting hazy, while the other coins in the album started to get golden rim toning.

Go figure........

windwhispersintrees

Crito,
Is the upside down American flag in your post a commentary or political expression?
Given your quote, I somehow don't think it's an accident.
Just curious.

gsaguy

My experience with toned Morgans (and I've collected them for almost 20 years) is that once removed from the source of the medium causing the toning, the process stops entirely. In other words, I have not seen, nor would I expect to see the coins eventually turn black if they're no longer exposed to that original source.

I have heard that some of the early NGC holders actually imparted some light gold rim toning to some silver coins. If this is indeed the case, it's probably because the paper insert with the grading info, etc was not sealed or isolated separate from the compartment holding the coin.

If you look at recent NGC holders versus the older ones, you'll see that the paper insert is not sealed separately from the coin compartment in the older holders. Again, I've not personally experienced this with any of my coins but have heard many others comment that it has happened to their coins.

GSAGUY

Morganluver

Art

Woops, guess my secret is out. Don't tell anybody. I wish those envelopes would produce the monster colors like you see from original bags, but so far just very nice album type colors. I put an absolutely black and white DMPL(no toning whatsoever) cracked out of an NGC holder in an envelope a couple of months ago and it has undergone an amazing transformation. The entire obverse has toned with electric blues, reds, and golds except the portrait-it's still snow white. It's really weird. If I didn't know the history I would say it was definately AT. You think PCGS would believe me if I assured them it toned naturally? I know others have stated their case and have been successful.

Gsaguy

I have had many NGC coins tone basically a honey gold on the rims. These were older holders and ones I've owned for a number of years. Fortunately, the toning is attractive. Also, I have a PCGS Morgan(blue holder) that was blast white when I got it(less than 6 mo. ago) and is now developing a purplish color over most of the surfaces. I think the coin must have been dipped(for you "gotta have it white" lovers out there) and not properly rinsed. It's the only PCGS coin I've owned that has done this.

ArtR

<< <i>You think PCGS would believe me if I assured them it toned naturally? >>


Richard, don't hold your breath.

Cocoinut

I've had 4 coins tone that were in old NGC holders. I wouldn't mind if the toning was attractive, but it's not. I'll probably have to crack them out and give them a bath.

Also had an 1882-O dollar that was stored in a kraft envelope for about 20 years that developed some wild colors. Haven't checked it lately, so there's no telling what it looks like now.

Lastly, back in the 60's and 70's, I stored a lot of BU silver coins in the cardboard 2x2's with a mylar window. Most are still blast white, but the coins in a certain brand of 2x2's have developed some cloudiness, possibly from the glue that held the mylar to the cardboard (??). I don't thinks it's PVC, but it definitely detracts from the coins.

Jim

Morganluver

Cocoinut


You might want to take a look at that 82-O. Hopefully it hasn't gone too far. The envelopes can produce some nice colors but if left too long will just get darker and darker.