Can you tell if a coin has been subjected to years of cigarette smoke?

dan1ecu · August 5, 2005 2:45AM

Smoke has got to have an effect on a coin, I would think. Perhaps coins tone faster when their owners smoke? Maybe certain colors predominate when the toning is caused mostly by cigarette smoke?

Does anyone know?

Dan

supertooth · August 5, 2005 2:59AM

Hi Dan-----I am sure that smoking does have some effect on the toning of the coin as well as the color of that toning. But, one thing for sure, as a non smoker I can smell the cigarette residue on the coin itself. It just cannot be missed. Bob [supertooth]

MJPHELAN · August 5, 2005 3:06AM

Smoking leaves a residue on everything. I too can smell smoke on large coins or slabs that have been exposed to smoke.

Longacre · August 5, 2005 3:08AM

Check Liberty's lungs, or look for a wrinkly device.

Goldude · August 5, 2005 3:09AM

Does the coin cough or talk with a rough voice? if so? it has been subject to smokes

BigAl · August 5, 2005 3:17AM

I once purchased a morgan supposedly subjected to many years of cig smoke. The coin had a thick hazy skin covering the entire obverse and a lighter layer on the reverse - supposedly the coin was in an old-school album that did not have the plastic protectors. Underneath the haze, the coin has a very nice dark ring of peripheral toning, probably caused by the album however not sure if accentuated or accelerated by exposure to smoke. Anyway, the coin was sent to pcgs where it graded ms63pl. I later cracked it and gave it a very light & quick dip which effectively removed the smoke haze but left the peripheral toning intact. Hiding underneath the haze was a lights-out DMPL with super deep mirrors. She's now one of my favorites.

1jester · August 5, 2005 4:02AM

I"ve had a couple smoke-toned coins, which had a very "thick skin" and were toned brown/red, but the color for the most part disappeared after an acetone bath.

Unknown · October 25, 2018 5:21PM

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Smudge · October 25, 2018 5:35PM

Very old coins have been subjected to many home heating methods from wood fires to oil and coal heating all of which were hard on coins.

blitzdude · October 25, 2018 5:56PM

Absolutely has an effect. Makes them stink like $h!#!

Type2 · October 25, 2018 5:56PM

I know one thing when I rec package from a smoker I can tell.

kiyote · October 25, 2018 6:02PM

How do people start smoking?! I’d rather eat horse poop.

Timbuk3 · October 25, 2018 6:30PM

Wow, original post was in 2005. I wonder how the coins look now !!!

ms70 · October 25, 2018 6:31PM

Treashunt · October 26, 2018 4:14AM

easy, check if George or Abe have lung cancer

ricko · October 26, 2018 6:26AM

The smell is often there on coins or slabs that were part of a smokers collection. As noted above, residues can also accumulate. Certainly the chemicals in the smoke can accelerate tarnish if exposed sufficiently. No smoke here... I quit about 35 years ago....I do keep a nice Calabash pipe in my library... if the doctor ever tells me I have XX months to live, I will fire that up and puff away.... Cheers, RickO

Unknown · October 26, 2018 11:36AM

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ChrisH821 · October 26, 2018 2:40PM

I just asked about this yesterday... although mine was in regards to "doctoring" rather than years of exposure. Sadly, the discussion was deleted. I am guessing the mod didn't like the topic even if just educational.

@Elemint you responded on mine yesterday. Maybe the mod did some cleaning up and moved your post to this discussion.

Insider2 · October 26, 2018 8:09PM

Cigar Smoke was one of the things done in the distant past to tone coins. It left a brownish color and the coins stink of smoke. We had a "smoke -toned" WL half come in last week.

Unknown · October 26, 2018 11:42PM

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Insider2 · October 27, 2018 5:27PM

This is an argument that will never end. Sometime before 1980 I read an article about "Color and Toning" in The Rare Coin Review and based on what I had seen before decided to make things REALLY SIMPLE for myself:

If the color and toning looks natural, I don't care where, how, how long, whatever! It is NT.

Think about it folks. How many beautiful rainbow toned nickel coins were around in the 1970's; 1980's; 1990's? Why it must be that "Global Warming" thing causing all those nickels to appear in this Century.

Elmhurst · October 27, 2018 5:37PM

If they were stored in my mom's house....

Unknown · October 27, 2018 9:23PM

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BryceM · October 27, 2018 9:40PM

Just smell it.

Insider2 · October 27, 2018 9:56PM

Commonly heard in a grading room: "This coin smells like "arsh!" and it ain't smoke.

Can you tell if a coin has been subjected to years of cigarette smoke?

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