I just came across this rather, er, suspicious-looking "toner" on a new BIN listing. I investigated some of the seller's other coins, and found this gem in the description for one of his earlier auctions: Is... is... is this your "anaerobic digestion toning reactor"?
When I see krap like that done to coins for profit it simply infuriates me. I wish there was a law against it! Just because these sellers want to make a bigger profit they ruin the looks of the coins for people after them. Idiots!!!
But he is very specific in stating the obvious (as kirk & the OP mentioned above): "It was created "Toned" by me for offer to you with my organic anaerobic digestion storage process."
But the problem is, people are buying the coins. If they know not to support people who AT coins then this guy would not be doing this since he would sell nothing. So, I blame both him and the buyers.
The buyers don't know, they are probably the same people who buy the gold plated state quarters. I place the blame squarely on his shoulders. Furthermore, I don't believe his little stories about how he accomplished his horrible artificial toning.
You know whoever is selling that is pretty smart for one reason. He states he "altered the coins from the original mint state" which if I am correct he commits no fraud which means he could not be charged under law. Am I correct? But let's be clear I find out a coin I was sold was in a toilet fraud or not I'm going to be a little mad.
It dispenses disinfectant into the bowl when you flush. It's not a coin-toning device; it was a joke. To me, the obvious interpretation of "organic anaerobic digestion storage" is "I pooped on it."
The first thing that popped into my head, upon reading that, was Bruce Willis describing his father's watch in the movie Pulp Fiction. Where else would be an organic digestion storage, in the absence of oxygen.... I cringe to think how long those coins have been "in storage"....
It isn't noted that it is referring to humans or even animals. Putting a coin into a closed container of rotting onions would be the same and release much more sulfur products/gram for toning. This is a thread that could easily go bad, please take warning and with hold any inappropriate comments. Jim
Fair enough (assuming your container of onions also is in a vacuum or all free oxygen was replaced with another gas or liquid), although I imagine a plain container of onions would turn a silver coin black because of the hydrogen sulphide (H2S) gas (which is very acidic as well). I think the general consensus here, and hence the cheap shots, is that artificial manipulation of coins is frowned upon. But, I guess once you own the coin, you are free to do whatever you want with it... I find this whole topic fascinating. Natural toning is a product of oxidation of the coin (and not a reduction reaction in an anaerobic environment). Even the seller uses the "rust" analogy (oxidation of ferric iron to ferrous iron). If it was truly an anaerobic environment, I would expect precipitates building up on the coin, instead of the outermost metal of the coin oxidizing. I can't help but wonder what the long term effects of rapidly colourizing these coins would be... The 1973 Canadian double dollar specimen set is a prime example of what long term damage can occur in even a mild oxidizing environment.... I am tempted to buy one of these altered coins, and stick it under the SEM at work, just to see if there are, in fact, precipitates causing the colour effect, and what elements are responsible for doing so...
The "rotting" reaction is of course done by synegystic bacteria ( and maybe a few fungi) breaking down the cells of the onions, and metabolizing the sugars therein.so in the closed container, the oxygen level would decrease and then the anaerobic organisms would finish the job. The terms oxidation and reduction in chemistry doesn't always refer to the addition or removal of oxygen, they refer more to the transfer of electrons. I believe that BadThad has used a microprobe to determine various components of verdigris/toning/corrosion on a coin, but he would have to comment on that since my reference is via private communication and he has not yet published it. jim
