Hazy proof coins...

I assumed you just meant a "dip" hah. Cleaning is a definitely a no no and always will be for me

 

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Zero, ziltch, nada, etc. and no dip.

 

I too would return it.

 

I never seen a coin do that so quickly. I know the mint send to coins to some warehouse in the middle of the country and then they are shipped to customers. It's possible the set was exposed to high humidity in the warehouse and your coins are toning. SAD.

 

I don't think there is anything wrong with properly conserving coins...but this is a brand new product from the mint. It should not need conserving. It is defective. I'd return it.

 

this is exactly what I’m saying. I think it’s more likely it’s what they used to wash the planchets. The reverse of this dime is perfect, only the obverse has the haze. One would think both sides would be toning due to humidity. They’re stored in a cool dry place in preset boxes, with silica gel in another plastic box anyway what else can I do.

with the nickel the obverse is perfect, and the reverse has haze.

 

it might look like this 20 years later, my 2001 S silver proof that had haze:


and it's still creeping. To be fair though, I'm not good at photographing toning yet, it goes from a golden to dark red... I'm hopeful blues will be the next colors to appear in the next 5 years or so.
right now it's light gold, amber, russet, and burgundy I'm wishing the blues will start appearing.

personally, i think it has to do with climate control during the initial shipping of the coins to you from the mint, at least that's how I think mine occurred. maybe left on a cold truck overnight, then they driver kicked on the heater in the morning for the route an condensation.

I'm going to try ideal lighting someday to see about getting the colors to show up better. it does look better than this picture lets on to but in the absolute wrong light it's a dog. Oh and the picture's through the proof set lens also.

the set itself, and the other side isn't nearly as bad as these sides the cent and SAC have no issue at all. its like the side that was inside facing with the COA didn't take the hit so bad as the sides towards the outer carton of the package, but like I said, mine came hazed lightly from the mint and I've let it ride for 20 years somewhat climate controlled, not going out of my way to remove any humidity, but not doing anything purposely either to add it.

 

not a fan of that at all. Just showed my coin dealer my set and he offered to trade ones he’s getting in soon with mine free of charge as a thank you for being a loyal customer! They know me as “the proof set guy” cause usually that's all I buy. LOL

 

No. I agree. Toning isn't for everyone some like it, some hate it. These pictures are really bad to highlight it except to show its happening. Its not really representative of how it looks to the eye at the right angles of light. As the film slowly thickens more colors will appear and then cycle through again on its way to terminal toning. The cloudy light film is just the very beginning of a really long process.

I'm glad you found a way to get what you wanted.

 

I do think there's nice toning, and not so nice toning. Cloudy/haziness like my brand new 2021 is very unattractive to me. Not so sure about the half dollar in your '01 set, but that dime is neat! I would be interested in it on it's own, just not in a proof set. Sets have to be perfect to me

 

Great album. Does that have castles made of sand on it

 

I would like to add, am noticing a pattern here. My 2020 is not as bad but needs to be replaced also. BOTH of these were purchased from the mint directly. The 2020 lenses were loose from the beginning (but that's another story). The ones I've bought second-hand, even on eBay, are perfect! Even my 2019. When I get my hands on some new ones I'm going to see if I just got unlucky twice or if whoever is washing these or caring for these in storage is just not doing their job right since last year. It's always the dime and nickel it seems take a look:

 

I'd suggest you very seriously consider your storage conditions if you want to avoid toning. Not saying its anything you are doing necessarily,just saying to consider your variables.

Are they all stored in the same place? Are some towards a door or window with a possible draft or sharing an outside wall? Do you shut off central air conditioning when you leave each day? Lots of factors.

The average "normal" Indoor air humidity is somewhere between 30-50% humidity.

Simply keeping them stored in a dry, dessicated place with moisture absorbers should protect them but if you take them out of that area, maybe put them somewhere warmer or colder for a bit, then put them back can cause condensation on the metal surface from the humidity in the air. Ideally you'd want to keep them all as dry and as stable as possible.
In a dark drawer let's say, with desiccant to absorb moisture in the confined space of the drawer and keeping it closed let's say, is very different from opening the drawer every day and introducing the humidity of the room to the drawer contents over and over.
Or taking the set out to look at it at a desk by a window with the sun beating in, heating up the desk surface and putting the set there. It don't take much temp change to cause a slight film of moisture on metal, the same way a cold can of soda does on a hot day in the first couple seconds. Might not be dripping, but its started getting damp immediately.

Just saying you might want to really consider everything you are doing or aren't doing if this is happening to find a cause for it.
Where I am its 80%+ humidity outside pretty consistently and my central air works to keep the humidity down in the house to acceptable levels. I gave up the war against toning a long time ago and decided to embrace it rather than fight it or keep selling and rebuying sets to not have it in my collection. Its a battle I'm confident I can't win in the long run. People in drier climates than mine will disagree though.

It could be something to do with the distribution hub and covid too, manpower, cost savings, ect. and not have anything to do with what you are doing. They sit at the hubs for a while before being delivered. They sit on trucks for a while before being delivered. Lots of variables id spend some time thinking on the ones you have power over and see if its something with your storage that needs correcting though.

 

Blame it on Donald Trump and/or Joe Biden and all the bases will be covered.

 

Wow that is a detailed response! This is the thing, they came from the mint this way. I can't tell honestly if they're getting worse, I hope not. I live in the northeast US and I am aware it has been very humid here lately. They are stored in the same place, in a Rubbermaid container made out of LDPE plastic (no pvc), with silica packs, in proof set boxes, and then finally in their OGP. I store them in an air conditioned room as well with a separate dehumidifier. I really have doubts it's anything I'm doing unless I'm missing something. I can only think of spending a pretty penny on intercept proof set boxes, and getting a better container to store those in since LDPE is mostly air permeable. When I received my 2020 and the lens fell apart in my hand with basically negative effort (it usually takes some to open a set, and I never intentionally do) is when I started to question quality control and the effect of COVID on the workforce at the mint. I will certainly let you and anyone who's curious know if the replacements I can find have similar issues however.

It will be interesting to see how these sets age and tone if I do end up keeping them when I get replacements.

 

Ok. Cool. Sounds like you've got a firm grasp on the storage concepts so probably its not something you are doing and just bad luck of the draw on the sets to start with.

I'd say in the future check the sets hard-core if you buy them 3rd party and if you buy them from the mint. If there's something you don't like return them immediately. if you're looking for clean and clear proof coins and something comes hazy, return it right away, its not going to clear up.

Most folks trying to avoid the toning like a plague are going to remove all the excess packaging (box coa) anything cardboard or paper really and store that separately from the set lenses with the coins. Some may even remove the coins from the lenses too. All kinds of chemicals in paper and cardboard that can crank up to 10 in a confined space and make toning happen.

Anyways I wish you luck.

 

Only a specific kind of toning and not a flatering one. The toning, for example, one might get in Blue Ikes is very different.

 

Haze can develop into something better, but most of the time, it doesn't. Really attractive toning has the color with a lot of the mint luster enhancing the look. Haze kills mint luster.

I was buying door prizes for my local club yesterday. It was surprised by how many Proof sets from the 1970s and '80s had become hazy. It's long been a problem with the Brown Ike Dollars. I think that a "clear one" should be worth more, but few people agree with me.

 

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/what-causes-the-white-haze-to-form-on-proofs.51330/
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/proof-coins-with-haze-cloudiness.278956/

We've kind of beat this horse on this site seems like once a year, it's pretty regularly the poor horse....

We don't know exactly, from what I can gather, what causes it exactly, or how the haze turns out. For me and my set, it colored up. I've had it since day one and check on it every year. I've no doubt the haze led to the toning, but I think it's possible that haze doesn't color up also, there's an interesting article here on morgans and toning.
https://www.monstertonedmorgans.com/all-about-toned-morgans

this one in chemistry world, just about silver sulfide and silver oxide and tarnishing.
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news...stery-of-why-silver-tarnishes/3010299.article

My understanding is Silver sulfide will color up in time, Silver oxide will just stay cloudy. they are two different things that act and appear different when on a coin. I could be wrong though. I'm pretty new to these theories on toning/tarnishing.