Save the Sparklers this year! A science project.

Coinscratch · December 30, 2023 7:39AM

Recently inspired by these two beauties in CoinFacts that are quite honestly beat up yet still made 67+ each.

Now, I'm not trying in anyway to say that these two coins were artificially toned. After all they straight graded with PCGS.
In my opinion, my MS67 (below) is superior to these two yet lacks color and as many hits. But I won't be cracking it out anytime soon. At least not until my science project comes back with positive results.

So, you hear tell about toned coins that sat in tissue paper or albums containing sulfur so, when I saw that leftover sparkler in the garage I thought to myself "Self, what could possibly go wrong".

Here are the tools needed for the project excluding time. And I'm starting with one under graded coin imo.
I put this together over Thanksgiving weekend and it has been sitting in the window. I'm thinking by July 4th it will be ready if it doesn't ignite first.

TomB · December 30, 2023 7:46AM

You will definitely get something.

WAYNEAS · December 30, 2023 7:52AM

You know @Coinscratch
that @ricko is looking down on you and is making plans to remove all the blast white stickers in your area.
Good luck in your science 101 project.
Let us view the results bad or good.
Have a safe and happy New Year,
Wayne

baddogss · December 30, 2023 8:03AM

@WAYNEAS said:
You know @Coinscratch
that @ricko is looking down on you and is making plans to remove all the blast white stickers in your area.
Good luck in your science 101 project.
Let us view the results bad or good.
Have a safe and happy New Year,
Wayne

You could add another variable - sit it on top of the water heater or by the clothes dryer vent ????
Interesting for sure.

jesbroken · December 30, 2023 8:04AM

Did the same type treatment 20 or so years ago with match heads. Ruined two nice Lincolns and two nice Roosevelts.
Jim

Coinscratch · December 30, 2023 8:14AM

@jesbroken said:
Did the same type treatment 20 or so years ago with match heads. Ruined two nice Lincolns and two nice Roosevelts.
Jim

How long did they sit?

Namvet69 · December 30, 2023 8:20AM

@Coinscratch Well Mr Wizard, good luck. I love science experiments. Would be nice to view the coin surface changes as it progresses. Is that gift tissue paper? Are you storing this victim at room temperature?

Namvet69 · December 30, 2023 8:30AM

Funny coincidence, I just snagged a handful of free books of matches at the Wawa for the same purpose. Now I shall choose a victim coin.

rsei0120 · December 30, 2023 8:33AM

will be interesting to find out

Coinscratch · December 30, 2023 8:34AM

@Namvet69 said:
@Coinscratch Well Mr Wizard, good luck. I love science experiments. Would be nice to view the coin surface changes as it progresses. Is that gift tissue paper? Are you storing this victim at room temperature?

No, that tissue paper is from the sparkler so it's already infused with sulfur and I added some of the gun powder for good measure.

@WAYNEAS Thanks and same to you sir! I miss our beloved Rick0...

jmlanzaf · December 30, 2023 10:08AM

@Coinscratch said:

@jesbroken said:
Did the same type treatment 20 or so years ago with match heads. Ruined two nice Lincolns and two nice Roosevelts.
Jim

How long did they sit?

You really need low exposure for longer time

jesbroken · December 30, 2023 10:29AM

@Coinscratch said:

@jesbroken said:
Did the same type treatment 20 or so years ago with match heads. Ruined two nice Lincolns and two nice Roosevelts.
Jim

How long did they sit?

Mine sat above my medecine cabinet in the bathroom for additional moisture effect. IIRC, they sat for 6 months and the dimes were black and the copper just mottled. Too much sulfur. Did not think to try soaking in acetone at the time.
Jim>

nwcoast · December 30, 2023 10:47AM

Might be more exciting if you lit a match to that thing now!
I’ve got a feeling that Ricko might have approved of all this.
He had an appreciation for the methods and chemistry of toning and implied that he had done some of his own experiments over the years. RIP buddy!

Coinscratch · December 30, 2023 11:05AM

@nwcoast said:
Might be more exciting if you lit a match to that thing now!
I’ve got a feeling that Ricko might have approved of all this.
He had an appreciation for the methods and chemistry of toning and implied that he had done some of his own experiments over the years. RIP buddy!

Ricko would have lit a match to it all right and then with a big smile on his face would say, Cheers!

Namvet69 · December 30, 2023 11:19AM

Kinda like the bathroom humidity idea. That and the temp would fluctuate.

Coinscratch · December 30, 2023 1:15PM

@jmlanzaf said:

@Coinscratch said:

@jesbroken said:
Did the same type treatment 20 or so years ago with match heads. Ruined two nice Lincolns and two nice Roosevelts.
Jim

How long did they sit?

You really need low exposure for longer time

Lower exposure to light?

gumby1234 · December 30, 2023 2:02PM

I'm guessing we will be seeing one ugly Kennedy half in the near future.

Coinscratch · December 30, 2023 2:15PM

@gumby1234 said:
I'm guessing we will be seeing one ugly Kennedy half in the near future.

Maybe. I suppose it could turn gray if all of the colors mixed. But I was shooting for blue/purple.

Coinscratch · December 30, 2023 2:16PM

I have some other projects in the works as well…

baddogss · December 31, 2023 6:20AM

@Coinscratch said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@Coinscratch said:

@jesbroken said:
Did the same type treatment 20 or so years ago with match heads. Ruined two nice Lincolns and two nice Roosevelts.
Jim

How long did they sit?

You really need low exposure for longer time

Lower exposure to light?

I'm thinking - lower amounts of the catalyst or toning agent, such as Sulphur (match heads/sparklers).
The chemical that accelerates the process. You only need a very small amount.
Then a longer time to soak it up, say a year or more, rather than 6-7 months.
Patience grasshopper.

Just my 2 cents.

OAKSTAR · December 31, 2023 8:42AM

Your thread prompted an emotional response...

OAKSTAR · December 31, 2023 8:42AM

OAKSTAR · December 31, 2023 8:42AM

OAKSTAR · December 31, 2023 8:42AM

Good luck with your experiment! Keep us posted.

Mr_Spud · December 31, 2023 10:04AM

Cool experiment, please post the results. For a second there I thought you were going to leave it in the slab which, in my opinion, would be a no-no.

Coinscratch · December 31, 2023 10:31AM

@Mr_Spud said:
Cool experiment, please post the results. For a second there I thought you were going to leave it in the slab which, in my opinion, would be a no-no.

Negative, and also I will not be cooking, gassing, or anything else considered taboo. I will however resubmit the coin if I think it looks cool enough for a TrueView regardless if the label says Questionable Color.
I'm just going through the motions started with Zincs and moved all the way to Ikes, loving those btw.

Coinscratch · December 31, 2023 10:36AM

@OAKSTAR said:

Actually, those little son of a biscuit eaters are tough! The hammer wouldn't crack it with the amount of pressure I was comfortable with. So, I have a large pair of wire cutters and I simply cut off the corners.

I feel the coin is under graded at 66 but it would not be worth the grading costs unless it gets to 7+ or better.
Nothing to lose really.

OAKSTAR · December 31, 2023 10:49AM

I hear you @Coinscratch, not easy.

I use a vise. Just slowly crank it down, loosen it up, turn the slab and repeat.

Coinscratch · December 31, 2023 12:08PM

Hey @OAKSTAR Not to mention the satisfaction you get...

Oh! So your cleaned are ya, we'll see about that.

OAKSTAR · December 31, 2023 12:59PM

@Coinscratch - Although I try to stay away from problem coins, it was the perfect coin for my walker circulated Whitman set.

Steven59 · December 31, 2023 1:33PM

"Where's the coin that you're trying the experiment on?"

"I put it by the stove, Why?"

Coinscratch · March 16, 2024 5:48AM

Yard work or coins today, or both?

Better go with taxes…

[Deleted User] · March 16, 2024 7:06PM

@Coinscratch said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@Coinscratch said:

@jesbroken said:
Did the same type treatment 20 or so years ago with match heads. Ruined two nice Lincolns and two nice Roosevelts.
Jim

How long did they sit?

You really need low exposure for longer time

Lower exposure to light?

Exposure to lower levels of sulfur for a longer duration of time.

Coinscratch · March 16, 2024 7:11PM

@Atcarroll said:

@Coinscratch said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@Coinscratch said:

@jesbroken said:
Did the same type treatment 20 or so years ago with match heads. Ruined two nice Lincolns and two nice Roosevelts.
Jim

How long did they sit?

You really need low exposure for longer time

Lower exposure to light?

Exposure to lower levels of sulfur for a longer duration of time.

I'll try that on the next one.

Coinscratch · April 20, 2024 5:39PM

@Namvet69 said:
Funny coincidence, I just snagged a handful of free books of matches at the Wawa for the same purpose. Now I shall choose a victim coin.

I have a new candidate/victim 😁

may · January 8, 2026 4:31PM

Well...
How'd it turn out?

Coinscratch · January 8, 2026 4:54PM

@may said:
Well...
How'd it turn out?

Thanks for asking :-)
The Kennedy came out just looking dirty and I gave away the Peace Dollar intact here in a giveaway.

I don’t have a pic handy but the best one was a Silver Eagle I put in a blue 99 or 2000 mint set envelope.
Which came out bright orange red but what I learned from that was you need to dip the coin first otherwise any area that might have been touched will not tone.

may · January 8, 2026 5:23PM

@Coinscratch said:

@may said:
Well...
How'd it turn out?

Thanks for asking :-)
The Kennedy came out just looking dirty and I gave away the Peace Dollar intact here in a giveaway.

I don’t have a pic handy but the best one was a Silver Eagle I put in a blue 99 or 2000 mint set envelope.
Which came out bright orange red but what I learned from that was you need to dip the coin first otherwise any area that might have been touched will not tone.

Oh well, a little disappointing.

I think I might start out a couple silver kennedys with the sparkler method you did, and dipping them beforehand. I might even though in a couple morgans or peace $ destined for the furnace.

Thanks for the dipping advice though, I've been previously using degreaser from the shop to get rid of oil.

Coinscratch · January 8, 2026 5:31PM

@may said:

@Coinscratch said:

@may said:
Well...
How'd it turn out?

Thanks for asking :-)
The Kennedy came out just looking dirty and I gave away the Peace Dollar intact here in a giveaway.

I don’t have a pic handy but the best one was a Silver Eagle I put in a blue 99 or 2000 mint set envelope.
Which came out bright orange red but what I learned from that was you need to dip the coin first otherwise any area that might have been touched will not tone.

Oh well, a little disappointing.

I think I might start out a couple silver kennedys with the sparkler method you did, and dipping them beforehand. I might even though in a couple morgans or peace $ destined for the furnace.

Thanks for the dipping advice though, I've been previously using degreaser from the shop to get rid of oil.

Good luck with it. I’m sure the silver is key as that copper clad Kennedy never had a chance. I ended up dipping it and sticking it in an album.

Save the Sparklers this year! A science project.

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