Where to go from here...

If dipped correctly, yes. Over dipping will make that coin shine but the luster is lost.

 

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Try an 1881 S or 1886 P morgan...there is a large supply of clean coins and even some PCGS slabbed for under $60

 

There aren't really "hard and fast" rules about how silver will acquire patina, since so much of that depends on the conditions under which it's stored and how the Mint prepared the planchets. If you look at a bunch at the Heritage Auctions archive, you'll see how (for instance) Bust Halves age in a different way than Seated coinage (which you've accurately noted; Seated stuff gets dark) and both age differently than Morgans. As time goes by and you see increasing numbers of examples of the coins you like, you'll get a feel for what looks "correct" or not.

Either way, silver is pretty reactive in atmosphere as long as there's something present with which it can react, and one would expect that to happen during the normal course of things.

One generality that *does* work is, the longer you get from a coin's original minting date, the less-likely it will be to retain complete original "as minted" appearance. The laws of averages indicate that eventually it'll get into an atmosphere which will age it as it transitions through different owners. Morgans get a pass on this somewhat, as a large number of them survived to us in Mint bags (never leaving US Property) until the GSA sales. That said, it's been 40 years since those were released and even though our ability to preserve a coin in original condition has improved, it's not difficult to believe that a large plurality of them (I don't subscribe to "predicted percentages") have been dipped back into "clean" shape.

 

And there is no guarantee that they will not tarnish/tone/patina even in slabs or "air tite" capsules. My question is: how did so many survive being stored in US mint canvas bags for up to 80 years and still look incredible?

 

Because they didn't move so much as a single millimeter during those years. And hemmed in by another 60lbs of coins in each bag, in a pile of bags twenty deep, there wasn't much chance for atmosphere to reach them either.

 

It would have been really cool to see them in storage.

 

Think of it this way - bags were $1000 face, roughly 62.5lbs each, and the stash of 1884-CC Morgans alone was almost a thousand bags.

 

Image from the GSA sale



They would have been stored like that stacked in the Treasury vaults. Air with contaminants such as sulfur compounds that would react with the silver would react with and be consumed by the coins on the outside perimeter of the pile, but by the time it got to the coins inside there would be no reactants left and the coins would remain untoned.

 

This thread has gotten interesting, wish I had a time machine to get in on that GSA stuff. Anyways, I went to the book store after work and got The Coin Collector's Survival Manual. Looks like a good read after skimming through it in the store.

I have a cull 1921P Morgan that I want to test giving it an acetone bath. Let me know if you think it's worth it.

 

I see nothing on the coin that acetone will have an effect on. It got fingerprinted, so badly that the fingerprints altered the patinating process, and that patina is here to stay. Acetone won't touch that.

Unless, of course, I'm completely misinterpreting your images.

 

Off to the junk silver pile it goes...

 

Meh, I don't know about that. By and large, Coins and COINage don't really do much for me. Half the issue is taken up with their useless price guides, and the articles aren't terribly in depth most of the time. I can't comment on Numismatic News or Coin World.

One thing though: if you do pick up one of the national publications, the dealers that advertise there come in basically two varieties. One is the high to moderately high priced but legitimate dealers; these are fine to buy from if you're prepared to pay the price. The other is the low end junk peddlers. If you use a little common sense, it's not super difficult to tell them apart.

Oh, and FYI, Jack Beymer is in the "high to moderately high priced but legit" category. He has quality stuff. Don't be afraid to buy from him even though his ads (and even his web site, lol) don't have pictures. He's the guy people I know will go to when they're hunting for "that coin" and just can't find it. I've seen him and his wife at shows. They have quality stuff, and he's very knowledgeable and friendly.

 

This is a good book. I think there's a new edition either just out or coming out soon. It's hard to go wrong with a Scott Travers or a Q. David Bowers book. (Although, Bowers has so many books that if you've read a few, you'll notice him repeating things in different books sometimes.)

 

Dipped properly and a coin that should be dipped doesn't ruin a coin. A circulated 19th c coin should NEVER be dipped. An uncirculated coin with unsightly toning is often a good candidate for dipping. A coin with beautiful toning or attractive original surfaces should never be touched. And dipping coins should be done as little and as short of time and weak of solution as possible. By someone who knows what their doing. Best advice is to practice on junk silver until you know how the silver will react to the chemical solution. Coins often tend to retone faster after dipping too

 

I bought a cull Peace Dollar at an LCS that I just compared the thickness to another Peace Dollar and it didn't match. It could be worn but could be a fake. I am getting a scale this weekend. Aggh...

 

Quoted for truth, especially the part about dipping circulated coins. Doesn't matter what century they're from, a circulated coin below AU58 will never look right again if you dip it.

 

The best news is that there aren't really any rules. As others have said, you do want to educate yourself as much as possible to avoid potentially costly mistakes which would sour anyone's enjoyment of the hobby, but, apart from that, do what you want to do. If you want to collect even numbered year Walkers, do it. If you want to collect a type set from 1957, that's fine. I've fluctuated from collecting a US type set (which I only half completed) to Uruguayan coins to hammered English coins to fantasy coins to Japanese coins to SBA dollars. My interests tend to shift around over time. For me, the thrill of the chase often outweighs the thrill of owning a piece. For instance, I've had a great time tracking down common WWII-era and US Occupation-era Japanese coins that hardly anyone stocks because they're worth next to nothing. But actually finding some in excellent shape under piles of miscellaneous coins or buried in three-ring binders brought its own satisfaction. Plus it wasn't expensive. In any case, as others have said, if you're not having fun then you're probably doing something wrong.

 

True. I just seldom buy 20th c coins that aren't high ms. So I didn't even think of that. But any circulated coin below high au doesn't look right if dipped

 

Have you read this book yet? Every chapter is online and can be read by clicking the chapter. I highly suggest chapters 13-15

 

Really?