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Milk spots...do they affect modern silver commems too?

CoinHuskerCoinHusker Posts: 5,034 ✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum
After reading Rena's heartbreaking thread about his 1995W SAE, I wondered if the milk spot problem has affected modern $1 silver commemoratives too? I haven't heard anything about them like I have the SAE's. Are they produced differently? image If the commems don't seem to have the same tendency towards spotting it might be a good place for the Mint, PCGS, etc. to start in their investigation of the cause.
Collecting coins, medals and currency featuring "The Sower"

Comments

  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 35,736 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yes, milk spots are a problem on those coins too. You will also get some brownish toning too after a while. It’s just the nature of silver, and there is not a lot you can do about it.

    I don't let it bother me. The main coins that I want in my commemorative sets are the gold. The others are kind of like frosting.

    BUT if my gold coins were to develop copper stains, which they never have, I'd be a very unhappy puppy. image
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • CoinHuskerCoinHusker Posts: 5,034 ✭✭✭
    I suppose I haven't heard about this as much on the commems because fewer people have them.

    Rim toning and such I can see, but these "milk spots" are really distracting from the eye appeal, at least on my SAE's they are.

    They are almost like a "skin cancer" on the surface of the coin. White, scaly, ugly!

    Collecting coins, medals and currency featuring "The Sower"
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 35,736 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I agree with you.

    I HATE milk spots. image Fortunately I've never gotten them on my commemorative silver. It's aways been the usual bit of toning around the edges, which I'd prefer not to have it, but it's not the end of the world either.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • CoinHuskerCoinHusker Posts: 5,034 ✭✭✭
    It must be those cherry wood boxes that keep your coins so pretty! image
    Collecting coins, medals and currency featuring "The Sower"
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 35,736 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>It must be those cherry wood boxes that keep your coins so pretty! image >>



    No, some people think that the wood in the boxes can result in the opposite.

    But I'll say this. I've got a 1984 Olympic set, and so far as I know (I was not the original owner, thank goodness because I would have lost half my money by now) the coins have been in there for 20+ years, and they have not turned. Virtually ditto for the Statue of Liberty set I own. Those coins have not toned in over 19 years.

    The Constitution set I own which I did buy from the mint and succeeded in losing half my money image has done some toning.

    I think that its more of the luck of the draw.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • dlimb2dlimb2 Posts: 3,449
    I have a full set of proof Silver Eagles in a Dansco Album...none of my Coins have milky spots or toning and they have been in that album for at least 5 years...My Unc set has also been in a dansco album for the same length of time and it is toning but no milk spots... Non of my Commemortives have milk spots either and they are in their original mint packaging...so go figure!
  • dlimb2dlimb2 Posts: 3,449
    I have heard...compressed air has chemicals in it and if used to blow off particles it could cause these milk spots! You never know. When I have used compressed air on my computer parts, it is very cold, when it starts to warm up it leaves droplets of condinsation...this could be what has happened to cause these milk spots on these coins.
  • CoinHuskerCoinHusker Posts: 5,034 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I have heard...compressed air has chemicals in it and if used to blow off particles it could cause these milk spots! You never know. When I have used compressed air on my computer parts, it is very cold, when it starts to warm up it leaves droplets of condinsation...this could be what has happened to cause these milk spots on these coins. >>




    I feel like this could be a topic for "MythBusters" on A&E. And along those lines, after reading your theory I think it sounds plausible!
    Collecting coins, medals and currency featuring "The Sower"
  • CoinHuskerCoinHusker Posts: 5,034 ✭✭✭
    I was thinking about getting the John Marshal coin and chronicle set today but changed my mind after thinking about milk spots in it's future. image
    Collecting coins, medals and currency featuring "The Sower"
  • fcfc Posts: 12,804 ✭✭✭
    since this topic came up, did PCGS's scientist ever determine what caused it?
    what is the material content of the white spot?

    i remember reading a thread a while back that was quite long on this topic,
    but it is buried now.

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