The Beauty of Toned not Tarnish on Coinage

First of all the definition of Tarnish and Toning:

Tarnish is dull (lose) the luster or brightness. A discolored coating. It just sounds harsh or cheap to me when saying the word.

Toning is the quality given to one color by another. A shading of colors. It has a smooth soft harmonizing sound when you say the word.

This is why when I talk about a coin with varying degrees of colors I say that it is Toned or Toning not that it has a Tarnished look to it.

Have you ever really taken the time to looked at a toned Silver, Copper or Nickel coin (preferably Uncirculated), bar or round? Some people love the eye appeal of a toned coin and if the toning is natural and covers most of the obverse and/or reverse fields in a circular rainbow hue of colors it can add more beauty and value to the price of the coin.

Toning is an alteration of the chemical makeup and color of a coin's surface. It occurs naturally over time as the metal reacts with chemicals (mainly sulfur based compounds) in its environment and toning will take place faster in warmer and more humid conditions. Toning is a thin film of sulfide that is found on the surface of Silver and Copper coin metals. It is what can give a coin the beautiful hues of colors ranging from a bright blue, deep magenta, red, turquoise, bright orange and light gold in a rainbow look when the coin is tilted slightly in natural lighting. However, as time continues heavy toning can cause a coin to turn an ugly brown or even black in coloration. A nice natural toning (not man made induced articial toning) is what can give a coin a higher value or lower value in grading the condition.

Silver can also react with other substances such as chlorides found in water which creates Silver Chloride which can appear as an unattractive black, gray or dark brown stain on the surface of a coin and can sometimes have the appearance of a grease or even a greasy feel when holding a coin.

Pleasant discoveries sometimes are found when coins that were placed long ago in certain older type coin holders, paper rolls, envelopes, mint bags, albums, etc. where small amounts of sulfur were found caused the toning to take place.

United States .900 fine Silver coins tone differently than sterling .925 fine Silver or Bullion .999 fine Silver, due to the higher the content of Copper (the most chemically reactive numismatic metal used in the U.S.) resulting many times in a Verdigris color (green or bluish coating that forms on Copper when exposed to the air for long periods of time).

Another name for the toning on Copper coins and its alloys is often called Patina (a film or incrustation, usually green, formed by oxidation on the surface of old bronze or Copper). Did you know that a brown or black patina coloring is caused by Copper Oxide, Cupric Oxide, or Cuprous Oxide. A green coloring is caused by Copper Sulfate or Copper Sulfide and a blue coloring is caused by Copper Carbonate.

The other base metal used most often in coinage is Nickel, which generally tones only slightly, most often turning to a hazy gray though sometimes this metal will turn a light golden, pale champagne or pale blue color. If you see a Nickel coin with a wild rainbow toning it is most likely done artificially.

I like to use Air-tites (they keep finger prints, human skin oils and accidental droppings of coins from becoming damage), if a coin has been sealed in an airtite container the surfaces of a coin will deplete the sulfur and other chemicals around it and stop the toning process. This will stabilize the colors and if the coin is stored in a proper moisture free and temperature controlled environment keeping the beauty and eye appeal intact for that toned coin. This is very important if you have purchased expensive slabbed graded coins and you don't want the toning to change colors radically over time and lessen the value of your collectible or investment.

Thank You for viewing my blogs and all the best in your investing and collecting of REAL MONEY.

Charles