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1986 Ellis Island Dollar coin

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I have 2 Ellis Island mint dollars I received this month. One is bright and beautiful silver, the other has a gold tint that's very noticeable. What is the difference ? I am new at collecting. I don't even know if this is the place to ask questions. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.  

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You've come to the right place. I assume these are the 1986 Commemorative dollars? Are they 'proof' PR or 'Mint State' MS? This would help.

My bad, :devil: 1986 is in the title. 

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Yes it is a commemorative proof San Francisco mint. 1 dollar. Same size as my Silver Eagles. I have 2 1986 proofs, one bright silver the other. When compared side to side the other it has a bright gold tone to it. Very noticeable.  

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As Conder101 has stated, "Sounds like one of them has started to tone." it is not uncommon to have a 30 year old proof coin to take on a golden tone. There is no difference between the two, the one that is taking on the golden tone was probably due to how it's been stored. There are collectors who desire the bight silver and those who prefer toning, you got the best of both worlds.

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Gentleman thank you for the great information. Very helpful for a new collector as myself. I have lots of learning to do. I found an old collection I've had for years and it renewed my interest. I'm adding to it slowly as I learn.  

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Toning can begin to form over time depending upon how the coin was stored, what might have been done to it with respect to dipping to remove tarnish, or sometimes it's just pure luck or bad luck.

Coins need to be stored in a dry environment at constant temperatures. If they are stored in a place were the temperatures go up and down all the time, they can tone or grow spots. For example when I lived up north, I found taht it was not a good idea to store items like Proof sets or that commemorative dollar you have in a closet that was on an outside wall. The cold weather resulted in temperature changes and spots. I had similar problems with a bank safe deposit box.

Dipping is used to remove tarnish, but if the coin is not properly rinsed after the procedure, the coin might re-tone, sometimes to some ugly colors. My advice is avoid dipping your coins. I don't like to do it at all unless what is going on with the coin looks like it is causing damage.

Bad LUCK ... Some coins change color for not good reason. This has been noted for some modern Proof sets with colored insertes. I think that the purple inserts have been preceived to be he source of the problem.

This is a complex subject. My advice to relax for the most part. There is not a lot you can do except take my advice about storeage.

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9 hours ago, BillJones said:

Toning can begin to form over time depending upon how the coin was stored, what might have been done to it with respect to dipping to remove tarnish, or sometimes it's just pure luck or bad luck.

Coins need to be stored in a dry environment at constant temperatures. If they are stored in a place were the temperatures go up and down all the time, they can tone or grow spots. For example when I lived up north, I found taht it was not a good idea to store items like Proof sets or that commemorative dollar you have in a closet that was on an outside wall. The cold weather resulted in temperature changes and spots. I had similar problems with a bank safe deposit box.

Dipping is used to remove tarnish, but if the coin is not properly rinsed after the procedure, the coin might re-tone, sometimes to some ugly colors. My advice is avoid dipping your coins. I don't like to do it at all unless what is going on with the coin looks like it is causing damage.

Bad LUCK ... Some coins change color for not good reason. This has been noted for some modern Proof sets with colored insertes. I think that the purple inserts have been preceived to be he source of the problem.

This is a complex subject. My advice to relax for the most part. There is not a lot you can do except take my advice about storeage.

 

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Thank you, I have no idea what kind of environment it was stored in. I just received it last week. I don't think it's a bad thing, it's beautiful. Just a different shade. It's very uniform with no spots, it actually looks quite nice next to another 1986 proof I have. I will take your advise and move it from the outside wall of my shop. I have it in a storage unit made out of plastic with drawers. Sounds like I'll be taking them in the house. Thank you again for the helpful advice.     

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Let me clarify. Some people find toning to be very beautiful and desirable, especially if it is bright and colorful. Some people pay premiums, sometimes very high premiums for it. The trouble is I can’t describe in words what good toning and bad toning looks like.

 

Bad toning can either be ugly, or it can be artificially produced. Artificially produced toning can still fool or please some collectors who will pay high prices for it. Some of the artificially produced kind can get by expert graders and end up in certification slabs.

 

As you can see this is a complex issue that has many facets. There have been long discussions about this here and on other Internet sites.

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21 hours ago, slohiker said:

Same size as my Silver Eagles.

Actually slightly smaller, The SOL dollars are 38 mm in diameter, the ASE is 40.6 mm

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Well if toning is desirable to some I think I'm lucky. This one has a light golden tone that's uniform with no color variation at all. Both sides are identical. The coin is stunning, I can't find any flaws with 40x viewing. It's the most flawless proof I have, and the most beautiful. Thank you all for the help.      

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