Blackened Silver
charlesf20
Posts: 383 ✭✭✭
"Silver becomes black because of hydrogen sulfide (sulfur), a substance that occurs in the air."
Any safe remedies?
1
charlesf20
Posts: 383 ✭✭✭
Comments
No. Silver polish.
I would also be careful about taking this statement too literally. The color (black) is partly related to the thickness of the silver sulfide layer. Sulfur is also responsible for your other colors on the silver, and copper.
Hydrogen sulfide is the main factor in silver tarnish.... and tarnish is, therefore, the result of environmental damage to the metal. Just as acids or other chemicals can damage a coin... Though many seem to like the early stages of tarnish which often produce various colors. Cheers, RickO
It might as well be left per se then?
@charlesf20 ... We would need pictures in order to recommend a course of action. Cheers, RickO
You can remove it, but it will be obvious that it was removed.
Leave it alone.
I appreciate the explaination, that brings to mind a recurring question that I have (I still don't understand). Do toned/tarnished coins stabilize and remain at a given degree of toning or will all toned/tarnished coins eventually become totally black? I have seen some Sterling and Silver service sets that have completely toned to black. What arrests/stabilizes the toning?
(l8-)>>
@edgar... The tarnish process will continue as long as there is free hydrogen sulfide and available silver. The tarnish is terminal once it arrives at black.
@charlesf20.... Wow... Not sure what to tell you about that Morgan. It is certainly black, but, from the pictures, it looks like an artificial black.... Strange. Perhaps some of our other members have some inputs on this one. Cheers, RickO
Looks more like shoe polish than tarnish.
Going by the reverse, the toning process has gone too far for conservation (dipping) to do any good. The toning process has taken away whatever Mint luster might have been on the piece.
Leather purse will do that. It's normal
Leave it be.
Couldn't just leave well enough alone.
At least the date looks better.
I had a 34 s circ Peace Dollar VF darkly toned picked up like that 1878 $ (as bad or a little worse) at show from walkup seller. I Conserved it (dipped) plus using the q tip dip soaked lt tap n scrub method. Being careful not damage surface. Got the dark toning off and it looked decent. Got it slabbed (ICG VF30). This was decades ago when ICG submitter. Now would see what our hosts could do (conservation / grading). Did move later on and sold for positive margin.
As far as cause of dark toning believe he kept it in garage for sometime where exposed to atmosphere / heat, humidity, salt air (Brazosport Area -Lake Jackson).
I’d leave that one alone and agree that it does look a little off.
I had a terminal toned, mostly black Walking Liberty Half with the toning on all surfaces, not like your coin.
It was AU and I dipped it as an experiment. Surprisingly, the black did come off- much more than I expected too. What remained was a slightly dull coin with a slight pink hue. Overall, I think the dipping improved my coin as I had expected actual pitting.
Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014
Wow
I read somewhere that ATERS at one time were using "gun blue" liquid used to restore firearms.
Came to mind when I saw the blue morgan. Does not look like silver tarnish to me.
I think the black on that one is soot (from being in, or very near, a fire).
Binion Baby. Predominantly black, nice luster. This is an old Teletrade image I believe.
I also have not understood the premium for coins in the process of turning black.
Sometimes they can be very attractive. Here’s my contribution.
How did you improve its looks? It’s far from a beauty but it looks a lot better.
Well could be daytime lighting in those pics. Here it is last night inside house.