Dipping Silver...

Short answer, who cares? It's bullion. It will always sell for bullion value. It has absolutely no collector value at all.....

 

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That will ruin the coin. No doubt about it. This has been discussed at CoinTalk many times.

 

Yea, that's why I wanted to ask here, cause I darn sure don't want to hurt it.
I read something about grape oil not being as acidic, but I really know nothing about it. There seems to be a lot of people that might. Maybe Doug will pipe in and give an opinion too.

 

Thanks guys, I'll just be happy with what I have. It's not that bad.

 

Maybe to show you what I was talking about, I bought these 2 coins the other day for $100. The 1936-D has a nice finish, but the 1937-D is lacking a little.
I just bought them hoping they will upgrade my set. It's been at the bank for years. I guess I'll find out next week.

 

I can see BNB doing a slow burn.......

 

True with the corrosion but I havent mustered up the guts to do that to any of my coins. however your right corrosion is a reason I forgot about.
thanks

Olive oil is acidic, it will take away part of the strike. Its the same with vinegar. it does clean it up but the strikes profile diminishes.

Agreed

Nope please dont dip it in grape soda. Acidic is acididc it will eat at the coin regardless and cause damage.

Beautiful coins, best of luck with upgrading the set.

 

Chuck, From your pics here, the finish doesn't bother me unless someone comes along and suggests the coin was cleaned (and retoned). Still looks nice. Both of them do. :thumb: Hope this biased opinion helps you decide not to dip 'em. :smile

 

Thanks for reassuring me to stay outta da kitchen! ha

Besides, although I've got coins that I have stored for over 20 years, someday they won't be mine, and I don't want to destroy them for the lucky guy that gets them next. They won't be ours forever, and there are only so many of them. I reckon we should respect the hobby for the next generation!

 

Well, and if the coins aren't progressing then they are fine. When coins are toned to the rainbow colors the toning hasn't progressed very far. Once you start to get the black toning is when the oxidation layer has gotten thick and can become damaging. If the coins are stored properly once they reach the early (and IMHO attractive) toning stage...then there is no reason to dip them.

 

Thanks all for your opinions and suggestions..

So I did go ahead and dip my 50 oz and 10 oz bard of silver to make it a little shiner and it looks great..

I'm happy with it, more so than before..

Does dipping silver cause any future issues with toning, tarnishing, etc? Or will it hold the shine for years to come with no discoloration?

bnb

 

Did you rinse the bars in water (preferably distilled water) after the dip, and then patted it dry? There can be issues if the dip wasn't fully removed. The bar will begin to tone again, how long it takes, and how strong the toning, all depends on the storage/environmental factors. Also silver is probably more prone to toning after a dip.

 

After "Dipping", isn't the metal even more susceptable to the bad elements?

I mean, isn't it even more likely to look bad sooner than before?

Oops, I started this before I saw your post Doug. I guess your reply explained it.

 

But what if the dip was done correctly, and the luster wasn't removed. Wouldn't it then be more susceptible to toning then? I've heard that a few times, and always believed it to be true, but I could be wrong.

 

Some luster is always removed by the dipping process...it just depends on if it is noticeable. Luster is caused by the surface of the metal being irregular. Dipping removes layers of the metal from the surface making those irregularities smaller. If you over dip, too much of the surface gets removed...it gets too smooth and it looks dull.

 

Yep, and in those cases of over-dipping, even when the coin retones the dipping is noticeable. And I agree with Doug, when a coin is luster is removed it becomes harder to tone. But, I'm wondering about when a dip is done correctly, when the thin layer of silver sulfide is removed, but the luster remains. I've always believed in those cases the silver would be more susceptible to toning.

 

I wouldn't think so...the reason is is the layer of metal that creates the luster, that irregular layer, is less pronounced. This is the same layer that causes the toning to be visible...light refracts through it to those irregularities and basically creates a prism resulting in the colors. If those irregularities are less pronounced...then the toning will be less. It's the same reason why an over dipped coin tones slow only less extreme.

 

There is no reason on earth to do this, no one will ever care.

There is no reason on earth to do this, no one will ever care.
Spend that same time taking a nap it will gain you much more!