Can anyone tell me whats going on?

Good Evening CT!

Can anyone tell me what is going on with this dime, I am thinking milk spots but I dont know for certain. The scratches are on the holder and not on the coin. Thanks in advance!

 

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Looks like milk spots, but would have to remove from capsule to be certain, too much capsule "chatter".

 

could just be the holder?

 

Not milk spots, but hazy toning developing. "Milk spots" look like water drop stains, with clearly defined edges and white interior.

 

Thanks guys, the spots are definitely on the coin and not the holder. I appreciate everyone's opinion.

 

I think I have a coin or two with that on it... I don't know what causes it, but I don't think it's cause for concern except that it doesn't look as nice as some of the other coins stamped in proof.

 

It looks like haze to me too. MessyDesk is spot on.

 

We often use the term 'Milk Spots'.

A very descriptive term, however, does anyone know 1) the origin of the term?
2) exactly what causes the 'milk spots' to appear on a coin? Obviously not real milk.

 

I've always been under the impression that "milk spots" are found on modern silver bullion coins like the ASE and Maple Leaf and could not be removed with a chemical dip unlike the hazy toning that will develop on proof coins that can be removed.

 

Oh no ... not again ... LOL

 

Don't know the origin, but they look like drops of milk and that is how the name derived. They are caused when the blank is cleaned and washed, all the residue is not properly washed off the blank and then it is fed into the machine for striking and when struck the residue is struck into the coin. I hope that helps?

 

The term was being used back in about 2001 with Proof Kennedy 1964 half dollars. They were gaining spots on the trip to the grading services.

 

They are more prevalent on older coins, especially the 50's and 60's. The Franklin's and Kennedy's are notorious for milk spots, (as are the smaller denominations). Quality control was not as strict as it is today.

 

As far as I know, no one has ever elucidated the chemical origin of milk spots. Although there are theories, I have never seen anything concrete.

 

oops

 

Interesting

so I thought

Thanks all.

 

Milk spots are irreversible damage to the coin and simply cannot be removed either by hand or chemical means without further damaging the coin.

I expect that they are the result of poor rinse for some chemical cleaning which occurred before or after minting but once they develop on the surface of the coin, they are there forever.

 

BTW, what year is the dime(s)?

And, exactly, what are you referring to?

This?



If so, these are scratches on the proof die. It's typical with silver proofs.

This?



If so, that's just the dippling that the US Mint uses to create a pseudo cameo effect. The technique has been around since before 2009.

 

The term "milk spots" has been around for a long time. Tomaska used the term to describe the spotting you sometimes see on mid-20th century proofs (which is thought to be residue left from washing the planchets). I'm guessing others used the term before him.

And I agree, the dime in the OP is hazy, but not milk-spotted.

 

I think the OP is referring to the white looking areas closer to the edge/rim of the coin.