Rainbow Toners : Peace vs. Morgans... the 1921 Morgans

MsMorrisine

So, time period showing itself through different bags has been mentioned as why Peace dollars don't tone like Morgans.

1921 Morgans were made in the time period that began the Peace dollars.


Are 1921 Morgan toners similarly hard to find?

morgansforever

21 Morgans are hard to find with appealing color. Maybe because the dies weren't basined? Spent less time in canvas bags?

EDIT: Were 21 Morgans struck with freshly mined silver or recycled silver from the Pittman Act?

GoldenEyeNumismatics

From what I understand the planchets were washed differently. The resulting residue made it harder for the coins to tone, and when they did, the color was densely speckled with untoned patches.

coinguy1989

<< <i>So, time period showing itself through different bags has been mentioned as why Peace dollars don't tone like Morgans.

1921 Morgans were made in the time period that began the Peace dollars.


Are 1921 Morgan toners similarly hard to find? >>



Yes, and they tend to command premiums like the Peace Dollars too. RWB has an excellent thread discussing the changes that occurred at the Mint prior to the coining of these.

coinguy1989

Here is Roger W. Burdette's post from ATS:

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=7905837&Main=349463#Post7905837

Sunnywood

Yes, 1921 toned Morgans are tough. And, they aredifferent from 1878-1904 Morgans with respect to toning. They are more similar to Peace dollars. The earlier Peace dollars (1921-1923) seem to be a bit easier to find with color than later Peace dollars, but they are still very tough compared with the earlier Morgans. The 1921 Morgans are similar, with the '21-D being perhaps a bit easier than the other two. There were numerous changes from 1904 to 1921 in terms of preparation, production, handling and storage. Textile-toned '21 Morgans even show a different burlap pattern than earlier dates. Everything was different! So yes, you are correct; '21 Morgans are more like Peace dollars with respect to toning. '21's also often have a distinctive "scratchiness" in the toning (not scratches in the metal surface, but little fiber-shaped untoned areas that give the appearance of the toning layer being mottled or scratched). I have also seen this on Peace dollars, including my rainbow-toned '23-D.

Check out the '21 Morgan toners in the upcoming Legend auction sale of my former collection! (I have no financial interest in the auction; I sold the whole collection several years ago.)

Best,
Sunnywood

bolivarshagnasty

My 21-D. Some what of an aqua color in hand. CAF has a real nice 21 ex-Sunnywood. Maybe she'll post it.

Stuart

Here's a pastel lavender toned 1921 Peace Dollar for your viewing pleasure...

1921 Toned Peace Dollar

BryceM

There was an interesting thread about this not too long ago ATS. There are several things that factor into the equation. Earlier Morgans were apparently stored in a different environment - something akin to a damp cellar I remember. Later Morgans were stored in more "modern" conditions. I can't recall if the bags were different.

As far as Peace dollars vs. Morgans, the hubs & dies were clearly different in terms of surface preparation, micro-texture, and there were some changes in planchet preparation along the way too. Finally, the greater relief and larger fields of the Peace dollar surely imparted different strains & stresses to the surface of the finished coins. Colorful toning is a thin-layer phenomenon, and different crystal structure at the surface may have affected the chemistry of the silver-sulfur compound reactions.

.... leastwise that's what comes to mind at the moment.

morgansforever

Just finding a well struck 21 Morgan is a challenge by itself, most are grainy n dull with flat laurel leaves. Throw in a bit of toning and PL qualities, makes for a wonderful example.

BAJJERFAN

My understanding is that from 1921 on that silver planchets were washed with hydrochloric acid solution and that chloride residue remained/s after washing. This would be consistent with the fact that milk spots are silver chloride. Also from my limited investigation of same it was found that chlorine/chloride was the only identifiable surface element on a ASE other than silver.