Morgan toning, stable once holdered?

BryceM · June 1, 2011 4:15AM

I'm sure this topic has been reviewed a million times and I've read plenty of comments about it, but I'm curious about people's experiences.

Toning for me is a bit of a strange concept. I understand why people like it, I really love a soft golden/champagne color to Peace Dollars, and I'm starting to see what people go nuts about in nicely toned Morgans. I sort of understand upgrading a coin for nice toning, but the engineer and chemist in me worries about this a bit. Toning, after all, is a chemical change to the surface layer of the coin. Doesn't that rhyme with corrosion? Isn't that a distant cousin of surface alteration? Isn't that conceptually bad? Isn't a nicely toned coin on the path to an ugly black future?

Does anyone have 20 or 25 years experience with holdered, toned coins? Anyone seeing progression of the toning over time? Anyone bother to document this with photos? Does encapulation seem to freeze the existing toning in place? It would be a real disaster to sink a bunch of long-term invenstment money into beautiful rainbow MS68s to see the toning degrade to black ugliness over 50 or 75 years. I know there are plenty of nicely toned 200-300 year old silver coins around, but its pretty hard to know when exactly the toning developed. Do we have enough experience to predict what will happen at this point?

llafoe · June 1, 2011 4:18AM

Results will vary depending on the TPG.

MercCrazy · June 1, 2011 4:47AM

Toning pretty much stops once a coin is slabbed, provided it is stored properly.

LindeDad · June 1, 2011 5:03AM

If I remember the article written by Sunnywood on toning correctly. Tried to find it but could not. He said yes toning is a progressive process and is not halted only slowed when a coin is holdered.
Also one has to remember that some of the older slabs were more porous than today’s so the conditions of storage can have more effect.
So as for what is going to happen to a particular coin in fifty years is very hard to predict just about as much as what happened to get it to its current condition today in most cases an unknown.

JJM · June 1, 2011 5:40AM

yes in, in PCGS and old NGC holders, I dont know about those butt awful prong holders,

again if stored properly

Kove · June 1, 2011 6:04AM

I have white silver coins I bought in PCGS rattlers in 1987 and they haven't changed perceptably in 24 years. That's in storage in the arid West, away from any sulfur sources and with plenty of dessicant. If you live in Florida, it might be different. I also now keep my slabs in Intercept Shield boxes.

Copper is a different story. I come across old slabs all the time where the copper was certified as "red" 20+ years ago, but the coins have clearly mellowed in the slab. They still look natural, they're just an attractive RB in some cases.

JJM · June 1, 2011 6:05AM

that makes sense about the copper imo

Monstarcoins · June 1, 2011 6:06AM

If your really concerned put your coins in these
http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/product/intercept-shield-slab-covers.html

BryceM · June 1, 2011 7:09AM

It would be horribly valuable if someone photo-documented some nicely toned coins over a 30 year period. It would be a darn shame to dump a bunch of money into toned coins that aren't nearly so pretty by the time the grandkids get them. Funny how corrosion is bad, but pretty corrosion is to die for.

coinman23885 · June 1, 2011 5:57PM

<< <i>I'm sure this topic has been reviewed a million times and I've read plenty of comments about it, but I'm curious about people's experiences.

Toning for me is a bit of a strange concept. I understand why people like it, I really love a soft golden/champagne color to Peace Dollars, and I'm starting to see what people go nuts about in nicely toned Morgans. I sort of understand upgrading a coin for nice toning, but the engineer and chemist in me worries about this a bit. Toning, after all, is a chemical change to the surface layer of the coin. Doesn't that rhyme with corrosion? Isn't that a distant cousin of surface alteration? Isn't that conceptually bad? Isn't a nicely toned coin on the path to an ugly black future?

Does anyone have 20 or 25 years experience with holdered, toned coins? Anyone seeing progression of the toning over time? Anyone bother to document this with photos? Does encapulation seem to freeze the existing toning in place? It would be a real disaster to sink a bunch of long-term invenstment money into beautiful rainbow MS68s to see the toning degrade to black ugliness over 50 or 75 years. I know there are plenty of nicely toned 200-300 year old silver coins around, but its pretty hard to know when exactly the toning developed. Do we have enough experience to predict what will happen at this point? >>

Additionally, I would store the toned coins in Intercept Shield holders as an extra precaution. If you want advice on toning, you may want to search for some of KryptoniteComics's threads here or ATS. He specializes in toned material.

PCcoins · June 1, 2011 7:41PM

<< <i> Additionally, I would store the toned coins in Intercept Shield holders as an extra precaution. If you want advice on toning, you may want to search for some of KryptoniteComics's threads here or ATS. He specializes in toned material. >>

+1

ricko · June 1, 2011 10:00PM

Your assessment of 'toning' (tarnish) is correct. In the truest sense, it is environmental damage. If left in the environment it will progress to black. Yes, it does damage the surface of the coin, eventually removing luster. Slabs are not air-tight, so the coins can continue to tarnish depending on storage conditions. Cheers, RickO

PerryHall · June 1, 2011 10:22PM

<< <i>Toning pretty much stops once a coin is slabbed, provided it is stored properly. >>

Agree, especially if properly stored since slabs are not airtight. There's a constant change of air in a slab---air enters when the barometric pressure rises and air leaves the slab when the barometric pressure drops. If you live in an industrial area with a lot of air pollution or near a body of salt water, it wouldn't hurt to store your slabs in a sealable Tupperware type container or heat seal them in plastic food bags.

Morgan toning, stable once holdered?

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