Why do we find INCREDIBLE US COINS with amazing RAINBOW TONING?

SwK · February 11, 2010 3:02PM

Hi all

www.petitioncrown.com

What can I learn that eludes the reason that British coins do not have the natural rainbow colours that you find on US coins?

I search the here and seach them there and just never find them ! OOOOOPS maybe I have missed the reason, the production of the SILVER is different?

Look forward to your answers

www.petitioncrown.com

JamesMurray · February 11, 2010 3:07PM

I often wondered about that as well , i do have a Gothic florin that does exhibit natural toning which is quite colorful.The odd thing about US coins and toning is that it isnt reserved for just silver , many cupro-nickel coins show the rainbow toning..weird.

Justacommeman · February 11, 2010 3:11PM

How were the majority of coins stored across the pond? MJ

coindeuce · February 12, 2010 8:17AM

I would be more interested to learn why you have an email address with a Singapore domain name if you are located in the U.K.

dizzyfoxx · February 12, 2010 8:20AM

<Why do we find INCREDIBLE US COINS with amazing RAINBOW TONING?>

One guess would be because they are quite valueable and the experts at getting better and better at creating some real masterpieces.... just a hunch.

PCcoins · February 12, 2010 8:22AM

I guess I've never looked for non-US coins. But I have seen many rainbow toned Canadian coins and a few South African coins.

wyldkatt · February 12, 2010 8:25AM

Well, from what I've seen, it is some kind of chemical reaction
due to the sulphur in the paper used for coin rolls, which gives that edge toning.
Raw coins laying against these coin rolls in a mint bag in the back end of a vault
for decades could attribute for some of the one sided toning that you see also.
just a wild ass guess though.
I'm no expert.

~wyld~

rainbowroosie · February 12, 2010 8:31AM

Lotsa Mexican and CANADIAN COINS LOOK PRETTY...

Marauderrt10 · February 12, 2010 8:34AM

There are attractive British coins. You just have to look for them

diamondman · February 12, 2010 8:46AM

England/UK/Great Britain don't have taco bell napkins.
UK doesn't have the same finishing process at the mint that the USA does?
UK uses better silver.
Uk is more humid.
UK has far less air pollution (due to size).
UK has less doctors.
All of the above.

RWB · February 12, 2010 9:16AM

The primary problem is that the Brits spell "color" with a "u" and that inhibits rainbow toning.

wyldkatt · February 12, 2010 9:20AM

Hey SwK-

Didn't know you submitted your ? to the "Improv", didya?

gsaguy · February 12, 2010 9:26AM

I recall almost buying a proof German Mark many years ago with fantastic toning. Dealer Michael Annis had it at a show in Houston. Wish I had bought it. I'd probably still own it.

keets · February 12, 2010 9:40AM

perhaps it has something to do with the sulfer content in the polluted U.S. atmosphere being higher or having been higher for a longer period of time.

ricko · February 12, 2010 10:40PM

The unnatural proclivity of U.S. collectors for tarnish. This causes many profiteers to seek their 'doctorate' in tarnishing. Cheers, RickO

ColonialCoinUnion · February 12, 2010 10:46PM

TwoSides2aCoin · February 13, 2010 12:01AM

Storage in canvas bags heavily laden with sulphur were the typical cause as the coins sat in bank vaults for years and years. Crescent toning (looks like a quarter moon) with rainbow colors is often seen on Morgans. (Unfortunately, thousands have been rinsed of this by those who prefer the NEW look of coins), However, toning /tarnishing is from the exposure to the bag, while it was covered by another coin.

I would think this is why we do not find this on British coins. They were spending these coins as fast as they were making them. You ask a good question and deserve as much information about this as you can get. Understanding is key.

Barry · February 13, 2010 1:12AM

<< <i>One guess would be because they are quite valueable and the experts at getting better and better at creating some real masterpieces.... just a hunch. >>

telephoto1 · February 13, 2010 1:46AM

There are some nice toned pieces out there but as stated, they are much fewer than US equivalents. Why? Based on my experience the primary reason you don't see as many toned European coins is because Europeans do not look upon cleaning coins with as much disdain as US collectors do. Many if not most early European silver coins of the vintages shown in your pics have been cleaned at some point, and thus have little to no toning; couple that with different methods of storage and display, and you largely have your answer IMO.

rhedden · February 13, 2010 2:07AM

High grade U.S. silver coins must have been dipped more often in the past (1940s to 1970s) by profit seekers. Dipped coins are much more likely to develop rainbow colors over time once placed in an album. Show me a group of old silver coins that was placed in an album in the 1940s, and every dipped or cleaned coin will have crazy colors (some attractive, some not).

I will also second dizzyfoxx's comment- lots of people are artificially toning US coins on purpose to make money.

Lewy · February 13, 2010 2:57AM

My best guess would be that (as far as 'silver' planchets or flans go) the sulfuric acid bath may be the determining factor for naturally toned coins.

I think that it is becoming increasingly popular in the US to artificially (chemically) tone coins. This, I believe will become looked upon 50-100 years from now as an act of stupidity, just as the cleaning of coins was popular in the past, but is looked upon with disdain today.

Why do we find INCREDIBLE US COINS with amazing RAINBOW TONING?

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