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how to get natural toning

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so i have some questions about toning on silver coins

 

I would like my morgans, peace, and other silver coins. to develop toning and im not sure what i should do exactly.

I do NOT want a artificial toning i just want to know what i can do to make sure or at least improve the chances of them developing natural toning.

 

I dont want to do anything could cause them to get the "artificial toning" details grade. I just dont know what the best conditions are to achieve natural toning

 

what im looking for is

1. how should i store them? (flips, folding cardboard coin holders, the album things made out of cardboard where the coin fits in a exact size cutout and the obverse is exposed and the reverse isnt (not sure what they are called but i hope that makes sense) or some type of third party grading slab) im sure there are lots of other ways im not mentioning

 

2. what conditions should i store them in? (dry or humid, hot or cold, exposed to sunlight or kept in the dark)

 

3. do coins tone or continue to tone in a NGC or PCGS slab? I know milk spots can develop and grow after being slabbed. But i dont know how the slabs effect natural toning of silver

 

Thank you for your time, any help would be appreciated as well as any links to pages or articles about natural toning would be a big help

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Toning is a natural act that occurs under the right conditions. Since toning happens in stages (google Sunnywoods Toning progressions) at any given moment in time, you may, or may not like what you see. Toning is a process when occurring naturally happens over decades.

 

That said, if you have the time to wait you can place a coin in an appropriate environment for favorable results but nature may have it's own ideas.

 

Generally what's needed is sulphur to spur the chemical reaction, some humidity and air flow can help.

 

Some beautiful toning has been provided courtesy of velvet, cedar boxes, Wayte Raymond Coin Boards, bank wraps, Kraft envelopes, and other sulphur bearing materials in the right conditions. Florida garages seem to provide a productive environment.

 

It's just as easy to over do it and cross a beautiful coin into environmentally damages territory by creating carbon spots and such. Some coins (lightly cleaned barber dimes come to mind) "lend themselves" to attractive toning. Others (Peace Dollars) won't tone in most environments.

 

With natural toning there is no Santa Claus.

 

 

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From my experience as a retired Florida dealer I would avoid the garage as a place to tone coins. I have seen what the heat and humidity can do to almost inert material like modern commemorative coin gold (90% gold, 10% copper and silver), and the results were not pretty.

 

As the previous poster stated, there are ways to promote toning, but the results are not totally predictable and can range from disappointing to disasterous.

 

As it is with buying coins in slabs, the best thing to do is to buy the coin with the look you want. Avoid buying one that you think you can modify to that appearance.

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I kind of like what the mint did. Start with a few bags of 1000 Morgans. Every few years sprinkle them with sulphur powder to keep the rats from chewing bags open. After 70+ years open them to see what you got.

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so i have some questions about toning on silver coins

 

I would like my morgans, peace, and other silver coins. to develop toning and im not sure what i should do exactly.

I do NOT want a artificial toning i just want to know what i can do to make sure or at least improve the chances of them developing natural toning.

 

I dont want to do anything could cause them to get the "artificial toning" details grade. I just dont know what the best conditions are to achieve natural toning

 

what im looking for is

1. how should i store them? (flips, folding cardboard coin holders, the album things made out of cardboard where the coin fits in a exact size cutout and the obverse is exposed and the reverse isnt (not sure what they are called but i hope that makes sense) or some type of third party grading slab) im sure there are lots of other ways im not mentioning

 

2. what conditions should i store them in? (dry or humid, hot or cold, exposed to sunlight or kept in the dark)

 

3. do coins tone or continue to tone in a NGC or PCGS slab? I know milk spots can develop and grow after being slabbed. But i dont know how the slabs effect natural toning of silver

 

Thank you for your time, any help would be appreciated as well as any links to pages or articles about natural toning would be a big help

 

Keep in mind that not all toning is attractive, and you won't be able to precisely control how a naturally toned coin will look. For every brightly colored rainbow toner you see, there are several more that are dull grey.

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I kind of like what the mint did. Start with a few bags of 1000 Morgans. Every few years sprinkle them with sulphur powder to keep the rats from chewing bags open. After 70+ years open them to see what you got.

 

I've never heard this before about the bag toned morgans, is this true that they sprinkled with sulfur?

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No they did not sprinkle sulphur on the bags... I did read somewhere that the reason they put sulphur in those canvas bags was to prevent the rats from eating them, but I almost doubt that's even true. Regardless of rats or no rats, they use sulphur compounds in production of many many things paper, tissue, paper towels, packaging material, canvas bags etc...

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I kind of like what the mint did. Start with a few bags of 1000 Morgans. Every few years sprinkle them with sulphur powder to keep the rats from chewing bags open. After 70+ years open them to see what you got.

 

I've never heard this before about the bag toned morgans, is this true that they sprinkled with sulfur?

 

My understanding is that the bag toning was accelerated by the burning of coal for heating prior to 1901, and that the vaults had problems with moisture prior to the 20th century. So sulfur from the coal + moisture + bag = toning.

 

Citation for the first two sentences: RWB

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  • Member: Seasoned Veteran

The following is from my book about The National Coin Album and other Wayte Raymond coin storage products:

 

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence of the often splendid toning achieved on coins that were housed within these albums for decades, and it is assumed that this same effect may be achieved today through placing coins into these decades-old pages. Overlooked, however, is that the passage of time has largely neutralized the toning power of these vintage albums.

 

Further on I wrote:

 

The highly sulfurous atmosphere of coal-fired America during the 1930-60s was the more likely contributor to rapid toning within National albums than the materials themselves...

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No way to predict what you'll get. Most of the time the tarnish will not be attractive.

 

Take your coins to West Virginia for a week and let them sit exposed to the air. While you are enjoying the scenic trash dumps and trying to figure out why everyone looks like brother and sister, your coins will acquiring a layer of sulfur that will gradually tarnish the silver or ruin any copper.

 

It will take several weeks after exposure for the full results to become apparent. Once the tarnish is the way you want it - or the best it will do - rinse the coins in plain water, then 99% alcohol or acetone.

 

 

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No way to predict what you'll get. Most of the time the tarnish will not be attractive.

 

Take your coins to West Virginia for a week and let them sit exposed to the air. While you are enjoying the scenic trash dumps and trying to figure out why everyone looks like brother and sister, your coins will acquiring a layer of sulfur that will gradually tarnish the silver or ruin any copper.

 

It will take several weeks after exposure for the full results to become apparent. Once the tarnish is the way you want it - or the best it will do - rinse the coins in plain water, then 99% alcohol or acetone.

 

 

Roger, is there a state closer to my Florida residence that will enable my coins to tone quickly? I don't care what the toning looks like because there are a lot of bidiots on FleaBay that will buy anything, and I need the cash fast.

 

Chris

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Roger, is there a state closer to my Florida residence that will enable my coins to tone quickly? I don't care what the toning looks like because there are a lot of bidiots on FleaBay that will buy anything, and I need the cash fast.

 

Chris

 

I would think that the Florida moisture would help.

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Roger, is there a state closer to my Florida residence that will enable my coins to tone quickly? I don't care what the toning looks like because there are a lot of bidiots on FleaBay that will buy anything, and I need the cash fast.

 

Chris

 

I would think that the Florida moisture would help.

 

Nah! The humidity makes the coins rust, and too many people think it looks like the clad layer is missing. These coins don't bring as much of a premium as toners. :o

 

Chris :baiting:

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Any place with coal mines will work. (...and watch out for those daughters, too.)

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The following is from my book about The National Coin Album and other Wayte Raymond coin storage products:

 

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence of the often splendid toning achieved on coins that were housed within these albums for decades, and it is assumed that this same effect may be achieved today through placing coins into these decades-old pages. Overlooked, however, is that the passage of time has largely neutralized the toning power of these vintage albums.

 

Further on I wrote:

 

The highly sulfurous atmosphere of coal-fired America during the 1930-60s was the more likely contributor to rapid toning within National albums than the materials themselves...

 

This.

 

 

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Roger, is there a state closer to my Florida residence that will enable my coins to tone quickly? I don't care what the toning looks like because there are a lot of bidiots on FleaBay that will buy anything, and I need the cash fast.

 

Chris

 

That depends - if the requirement includes "trying to figure out why everyone looks like brother and sister" then I guess Georgia is your best bet. :grin:

 

 

 

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so i have some questions about toning on silver coins

 

I would like my morgans, peace, and other silver coins. to develop toning and im not sure what i should do exactly.

I do NOT want a artificial toning i just want to know what i can do to make sure or at least improve the chances of them developing natural toning.

 

I dont want to do anything could cause them to get the "artificial toning" details grade. I just dont know what the best conditions are to achieve natural toning

 

what im looking for is

1. how should i store them? (flips, folding cardboard coin holders, the album things made out of cardboard where the coin fits in a exact size cutout and the obverse is exposed and the reverse isnt (not sure what they are called but i hope that makes sense) or some type of third party grading slab) im sure there are lots of other ways im not mentioning

 

2. what conditions should i store them in? (dry or humid, hot or cold, exposed to sunlight or kept in the dark)

 

3. do coins tone or continue to tone in a NGC or PCGS slab? I know milk spots can develop and grow after being slabbed. But i dont know how the slabs effect natural toning of silver

 

Thank you for your time, any help would be appreciated as well as any links to pages or articles about natural toning would be a big help

The best method I know of is to just put them in a cloth mint or bank bag. Come back in 100 years, and some of them will be tarnished.

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But... 100 years really? What if I want them now? So I can.. um sell them? I am afraid I do not have 100 years... Isnt there any way I can make them so that the toning will be accelerated from the 100 years, down to a day or two??? Course, its important that they are still "natural" I don't want no details grades. those just don't command the nice dollars some of those "natural" toners do...

 

How can I make naturally toned coins but skip all the natural factors involved, especially the time? doh!

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But... 100 years really? What if I want them now? So I can.. um sell them? I am afraid I do not have 100 years... Isnt there any way I can make them so that the toning will be accelerated from the 100 years, down to a day or two??? Course, its important that they are still "natural" I don't want no details grades. those just don't command the nice dollars some of those "natural" toners do...

 

How can I make naturally toned coins but skip all the natural factors involved, especially the time? doh!

Well that's no fair, now you're changing the question. :grin:

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so i have some questions about toning on silver coins

 

I would like my morgans, peace, and other silver coins. to develop toning and im not sure what i should do exactly.

I do NOT want a artificial toning i just want to know what i can do to make sure or at least improve the chances of them developing natural toning.

 

I dont want to do anything could cause them to get the "artificial toning" details grade. I just dont know what the best conditions are to achieve natural toning

 

what im looking for is

1. how should i store them? (flips, folding cardboard coin holders, the album things made out of cardboard where the coin fits in a exact size cutout and the obverse is exposed and the reverse isnt (not sure what they are called but i hope that makes sense) or some type of third party grading slab) im sure there are lots of other ways im not mentioning

 

2. what conditions should i store them in? (dry or humid, hot or cold, exposed to sunlight or kept in the dark)

 

3. do coins tone or continue to tone in a NGC or PCGS slab? I know milk spots can develop and grow after being slabbed. But i dont know how the slabs effect natural toning of silver

 

Thank you for your time, any help would be appreciated as well as any links to pages or articles about natural toning would be a big help

I make some Bronze and Silver Jewelry in the Winter when it's to cold to work in the Shop. I use Liver of Sulpher to tone. Only on my Homemade stuff and never on Coin, that's a BIG No-No. One thing I have noticed is that the Toning is not permanent and you can tumble the piece and the toning comes off. Sorry if this is too far off Topic!!!

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I make some Bronze and Silver Jewelry in the Winter when it's to cold to work in the Shop. I use Liver of Sulpher to tone. Only on my Homemade stuff and never on Coin, that's a BIG No-No. One thing I have noticed is that the Toning is not permanent and you can tumble the piece and the toning comes off. Sorry if this is too far off Topic!!!

Can we see an example of your work? My wife buys antique jewelry. Well, she collects it, I buy it, lol. I know it's customary for jewelers to use Liver of Sulphur to impart tarnish.

 

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Use natural ingredients, organically farmed tarnish and no preservatives?

 

Well Roger all of that is well and good, BUT IF IT AINT GLUTEN FREE, IT AINT FOR ME... I AM HAVE AN INSENSITIVITY ISSUE WITH GLUTENT..

 

SHORTLY AFTER I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS GLUENET ISSUE, I WAS ABLE TO FIND BOTTLED WATER THAT WAS GLUTEN FREE (THANKFULLY) :whee: , GIVING UP WATER WAS TUFF THERE FOR A WHILE... THANK GOODNESS FOR GLUTENFREE WATER....

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