1880-S MS65PL 1 1

[Walter Holmes]

Just picked this up, it has very attractive eye appeal. However, I would like to know what caused the gold colored toning around the edge on both the obverse and reverse. Any Ideas?

[Woods020]

No way to know for certain, but toning is caused by a reaction with some substance. It can be from the environment or some surface/chemical it came into contact with. Often when rim toning is present it comes from spending time in a coin album. You will see this and many other types and colors of toning on many coins. 

[Walter Holmes]

On 12/20/2021 at 8:36 PM, Woods020 said:

No way to know for certain, but toning is caused by a reaction with some substance. It can be from the environment or some surface/chemical it came into contact with. Often when rim toning is present it comes from spending time in a coin album. You will see this and many other types and colors of toning on many coins. 

Thank you. I’ve never seen rim toning in a gold color before. The pics are not edited. It is a bright gold that seems to frame  the proof like qualities of the coin and increase the eye appeal. 

[Woods020]

On 12/20/2021 at 7:58 PM, Walter Holmes said:

Thank you. I’ve never seen rim toning in a gold color before. The pics are not edited. It is a bright gold that seems to frame  the proof like qualities of the coin and increase the eye appeal. 

I’ve got several Morgan’s like this. Also many of these were stored long term in large bags that caused a lot of toning. Could be a lot of things but rim toning is most common from the chemicals in album pages. 

[Mohawk]

I think Woods if right on with his instincts about the coin gaining its toning in a coin album.....when I worked at the coin shop, I dismantled my fair share of silver coins in Dansco and Whitman albums that had been in them for years and many of the coins had similar gold edge toning.

[RWB]

It's an early stage of silver sulfide tarnish. Location resembles album or paper roll tarnish.

PS: The photos were made with mixed light sources. This merely confuses the true color of the coin and slab.

Edited December 21, 2021 by RWB

[Conder101]

Stored for some years in either an album or a paper roll.  The edge of the coin was in contact with the cardboard/paper and the coin reacted to the chemicals in it.  the edge/rim was closest to the cardboard/paper and reacted first.  If it had stayed there eventually the toning would have continued moving in toward the center of the coin.

[VKurtB]

On 12/20/2021 at 11:17 PM, Conder101 said:

Stored for some years in either an album or a paper roll.  The edge of the coin was in contact with the cardboard/paper and the coin reacted to the chemicals in it.  the edge/rim was closest to the cardboard/paper and reacted first.  If it had stayed there eventually the toning would have continued moving in toward the center of the coin.

Note well that while your coin is a gem, 1880-S is one of the dates most commonly found in gem condition.