I bought 5 of these sets direct from the mint in 2009. All of them were stored together and unopened until this week. Imagine my surprise when I opened this set. In 12 short years this is the only set that toned. Not even the silver coins toned.
Yes, the last time I checked/saw mine...same exact 2009 Lincoln boyhood set but without the silver coins...the cents were starting to tone this way. But actually, I'd call that a rather pleasant surprise if there's no toning on the other four sets...just this one.
One of the sets looks like it’s just starting to tone the same, the other three sets look like they were just minted a minute ago. Absolutely nothing.
As do I. Looking at the toning and it makes me wonder if the toning was from the cardboard insert that the coins are packaged in.
Absolutely. It has the album toning look. The coins reacted to the chemicals in the cardboard. Natural album toning. I have that in some of my proofs that I got from the mint.
That is some fantastic color on those, absolutely marvelous. Were they stored in a warm or humid place?
Not really, just my home which is a little warm in the summer months, around 80* and a little cool, about 65* in the winter months.
Are these the solid copper ones? I know they made a version that was a pre-1982 composition instead of the zinc cores. I wonder if that had anything to do with it?
Not the best picture but no toning on mine. Granted I am in AZ and we generally have low humidity and A/C, but July and August are humid with the monsoons and some folks only have swamp coolers. Got just the proof cent lens at a swap meet I think.
I pulled mine out. Nothing really on the obverse except the one in the right (abe sitting on a log) is definitely redder than the rest. All the reverses are showing some subtle changes, with the capital building showing the most All the other coins in the original set look like they were made yesterday.
As I was putting that Silver Proof set up, it dawned on me that the 2009 regular proof set has the exact same 4 coin cent insert. Mine are all perfect in that set. They were bought and stored together.
