What causes carbon spots on gold coins? What does a gold coin look like that has been affected by P

UncleWiggly

What about any type of discoloration like toning for gold coins? Except for carbon spots, all the gold coins I've ever seen are just gold color either in MS or circ.


Thanks,


Jerry

foodude

There is some copper (and silver too?- I don't recall) mixed in with the gold. Ocassionally, the copper (and silver?) did not mix properly and there are small areas of copper. The spots are from those regions. The toning is also from the copper (and silver, if present).

Sequitur

You know Wiggly, this is one of the things I like about gold coins -- the lack of ugly toning that obscures the damn coin, or artificial toning, which is fraud. (But gold has equally troubling issues, like counterfeiting.)