Pre-tone telltale signs?

[spy88]

I go thru hundreds of dollars in quarters every day at work as part of my job. I see many that have tone and pull them for my collection, regardless of condition. The quarter I used in the Sales Pitch post is one of them that I found.

 

But I also see a wide variety of what LOOKS like the beginning of a tone---in other words, the coin is not blast white or super clean, with a "look" to it, or a glaze on it that MAY be the beginning of toning.

 

Is there anyone out there that has a "what to look for" condition(s)on a coin that can tell you if it will EVENTUALLY tone on its own? Is there a storage method that will advance the speed of toning (not 2X2s or Kraft paper, etc.).

After reading the post and page from the Kraft paper companys home page, I got to thinking maybe a specific kind of wood might do this.

 

Any s out there?

 

David

[Oldtrader3]

Toning is an accumulation process. The darker the color the thicker the nanometer formation of color absorbing oxide. What this means, for instance on a silver coin, is that normally a coin will start toning by turning white or light gold and then advance from there to green, red, blue etc. What is not as predictable is what combination of colors a coin may end up being when the toning advance curve levels off and slows down. All coins, if allowed to progress unimpeded or unprotected, will probably end up dark blue or black. However, depending on chemical exposure, temperature and atmosheric conditions, this may take a hundred years.

 

IMHO, unless conditions are controlled chemically and relatively (i.e. humidity), one can not predict what colors and level of toning will emerge over what time period. In summary; unless you control conditions, you get what you get.

[jom]

The only "signs" I'm personally familiar with is from Dansco holders. I have some Kennedy's that toned over a period of about 10 years and with these it started with some brownish tone around the rim.

 

My state quarters are doing EXACTLY the same thing, believe it or not. The 1999 coins are more so, of course since they've been in the holder the longest amount of time, but they are doing pretty much what some of the Kennedy's did.

 

Keep in mind the coin that have this "sign" are copper-nickel clads ONLY. None of the silver Kennedy's toned in the slightest that I could tell.

 

I've also wondered what would happen if I put some Buffalo nickels in a Dansco. Since the surface metal is pretty much the same as clad State Quarters and Kennedy's maybe they'd tone the same...

 

jom

[spy88]

Thanks, jom/OT3, for your help.

 

I too have coins in albums (Whiman Classic) and I SWEAR that quite a few of the Jeffs that I put in it less then a year ago, are toning up very fast, mostly golds and oranges but some blues and purples. This is not to say the ALBUM is the cause as the toning may have been pre-ordained before I got it and albumed it but they sure are "active" now! The state quarters in similar album aren't doing anything tho, and all my loose coins don't seem to be toning either.

 

I am going to set up an experiment soon with different types of coins stored in different environments. Will start with normal change cleaned with antibacterial softsoap. Then let sit in the controlled conditions and see what happens.

 

David