Question for toning experts

jmwarren

I have a fairly decent collection of ancient roman silver coins. I've looked at thousands of them. I have only seen ancient silver coins SLIGHTLY toned. Many of these coins were stored in small bags for 1900 + years, yet nothing like these "GREEN WHOOPTIE DOOBTIE MONSTER BLAZER FROM HELL RAINBOW" morgans. Why don't you see ancient coinage like that? I've seen high quality content silver coins, and low quality, yet nothing like on U.S. coinage. Maybe all "MONSTER RAINBOWS" are AT?

nwcs

I would hazard a few guesses. Most ancient coinage was uneven in mixture and stored in the ground. Not as many agents for the colorful toning (which is interaction with other chemicals in an otherwise stable environment). Instead you get silver's normal oxidation colors which are shades of gray/black. Modern silver is mixed more evenly (and is alloyed) and is stored in places where it's exposed to a wide variety of chemicals which interact with silver and creates other coloring. Also, the alloy can create some of the colors.

My 2 cents worth inflation adjusted to 2 dollars.

jmwarren

excellent points, and I thought about that, but wouldn't you think out of 10's of millions of ancient sliver coins, some would of been "monsters"?

nwcs

It's possible, but as I thought about it most of the ancient silver was pure silver or electrum. The gold in electrum would probably prevent some measure of toning, but the pure silver probably reacts differently. But I wonder about the really high quality surviving ancient coins. Maybe there are a few colored ones in the bunch?

truthteller

I never saw a 'roll' of ancients, or for that matter, cotton bag or commem holder toning for ancients. I guess if Augustus Caesar were to mail commem Roman coins in original paper holders, you would see a lot more rainbow toning.

TRUTH

jmwarren

you don't think that ancient coins were ever stored in paper rolls? or cotten bags? Collectors in the 1700's, 1800's, and 1900's have done all of that, and guess what. No MONSTERS!!!!!!!!!

RotatedRainbows

It probably has more to do with the way the canvas bags where manufactured, I am sure the method used by the US mint in the 1800's was far different then it was in ancient times. Also the environment in the bank vaults were more stable then the ancient coins laying around in the tombs,caves or where ever they were stored. I do have one toned ancient but it is not what the hypsters would call a monster.

sinin1

Nice color on that ancient - is it all natural toning ? Or does some of the green come from PVC interactions?

RotatedRainbows

Nice color on that ancient - is it all natural toning ? Or does some of the green come from PVC interactions?

Its all natural and much nicer in person, the color is a little more blue in person I just did not want to spend the time to get it right so it has only been scanned once instead of multiple times like I usually do to get accurate color.