Spotless Silver American Eagles - musings about the future

[pendragon1998]

I was just reading an auction listing - it was pretty standard and listed an SAE as being spotless and not toned. That seems like what everyone wants from modern coins like SAEs. I suppose I can understand that, since they're relatively new and modern collectors ought to know a thing or two about conservation of coins.

 

But numismatics is nothing if not a long-term hobby. I'm certain that people who aren't even born yet will be collecting today's 2006 SAE in 2106. When they get their grubby little hands on our coins, do you think they'll be interested in getting toned coins or will they still want spotless and untoned coins from this era? Will the decendents of we who ask for blast-white bullion be asking for coins with a skin that shows their age, or will they want to collect encapsulated coins still displaying their minty freshness?

[TJ'S Coins]

Slabs are not impervious to environmental gases. In other words coins can still tone within them over time. If one hopes to keep them blast white then they should use one of the Intercept Shield products to store their slabs. Intercept Shield recommends purchasing new individual boxes every ten years to maintain their effectiveness.

 

A lot can happen over the next century, even with our best intentions to preserve coins the way they are today. Will those who come after us be as diligent in caring for them as I hope we on these lists are? Newer products may offer better protection over a longer time span. It will be interesting to see what happens.