Another stupid beginner question - tarnishing

[CoinCurious]

I have been purchasing uncirculated Silver Eagles. I have purchased about 10 2001 Silver Eagles that have what i guess is a black-gray tarnish on the edges. Is this something that I can clean off and If so how? Its just a little on the front of the coins. The rest of the coins look perfect to me. What causes this color? Should I just leave it on the coins? And if I should leave it alone and not try to remove it from the coins should i quit purchasing coins like this? All advice would be greatly appreciated.

[EZ_E]

Don't try to clean the coins yourself because the odds are that you'd damage the coin in some way either by leaving minute scratches called hairlines or by not neutralizing the cleaning agent properly which will lead to serious future problems. To have the coin conserved would cost more than the coin is actually worth so, my advice will be to leave the coins alone. However, you need to consider how you are storing your coins. Heat and humidity has the greatest detrimental effects upon the surface of the coin since it is a catalyst which causes the surface of the coin to oxidize and change its surface appearance.

 

You should store your coins in a cool, dry place. There are silica packets available which will absorb moisture and, when saturated, a 4 hour bake in the oven at low temperatures will dry it out making it reusable.

[CoinCurious]

These coins were like this when i purchased them. Does having the small area of black-gray tarnished surface make them not worth purchasing? Payed $12 a piece for them. (2001 Silver Eagle)

[EZ_E]

These coins were like this when i purchased them. Does having the small area of black-gray tarnished surface make them not worth purchasing? Payed $12 a piece for them. (2001 Silver Eagle)

 

They still have value, of course, but I would prefer them pristine and would buy problem-free examples if I had the choice.

[MikeKing]

Victor is right in that you could ruin the coins by treating them. However, I've treated modern silver to rid it of tarnish by buying a pair of cotton gloves, to prevent oil from the fingers touching the coin, handle only by the edges, never touch the surface, dip them for seconds not minutes in jewel luster or some such liquid coin cleaner, rinse well with water and dip them in alcohol before drying, then put them in air tite holders (air tite is a brand name plastic holder) so you'll never have to touch them again. That should leave your coins without anything reactive on their surfaces other than the metal itself. If you over dip, you can ruin the coin by dissolving off too much of the metal itself.

 

Michael

 

ps, no question is stupid.