I knew even before opening the thread what you were going to post. What really amazes me is the crazy money toners from this period in the 50s bring, because finding great toners from this period is not hard at all. That said, this period does produce some amazingly attractive coins, and your set is no exception!
These old cardboard mint sets tend to produce the nicest toning on a coin. Did the mint mean to do that? Nope. But it has been done. I actually have yet to see one in OGP with blast white surfaces. Nice set BTW. :thumb:
However right you are, I would also blame the sulfur content in the paper the mint used on these sets.
You've got me there. Could you help and explain how the Reverse side of the set doesn't tone as wildly? Personally, I thought these were stuck on the paper like a Whitman folder and you couldn't really see the back side, therefore not letting the coins get as much exposure to the elements as the other side in order to get that much toning. Forgive me, still learning.
No, the paper was not glued down. When you got the set both pieces of paper lifted right up so you could examine the coins. The reason why typically only one side tones is because only one side is exposed to the air. Picture, you have one of those sets, you put it away to store it. Most people are going to do this by laying the set down flat. The down side is pressed flat against whatever surface it is sitting on. So the down side gets very little exposure to the air. While the up side has the air freely circulating around it. It's really just common sense. It also explains why there are some sets that tone like that while there are others that do not. For if you set something else on top of that set, then neither side is exposed to freely circulating air and neither side gets the colorful toning.
The 5 cent coins are the ones that usually tone in my sets. A lot of them have a blue/purple tone to them and they're quite beautiful IMO!
