Are coins no good if discolored???

I have these historic coins of the US and they seem to be tarnished or discolored. Is this normal and hold their value? I want to sell them if I can. What do you think they are worth? See pictures attached.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

It's called "toning" and many collectors pay a premium for attractive toned coins.

 

The toning is not so spectacular that a "toner" collector would pay much of a premium for them. The other problem is that coins that are ordinarily put into specialty cases like these are usually lower grades. Higher grades command higher prices, and these appear to be only average condition. I'd be surprised if anyone paid more than 50c to $1 for all of them.

Chris

 

And just in case you were thinking of breaking them out of the holder and "cleaning" them, no that wont increase the value. Even if tarnished (toned) its always best to NOT clean any coins you have. Leave them in their original state to the extent that you can. Cleaning almost always diminishes their value further.

 

2003 & 2005 are hardly historic, put them in an old sock and bury them in the yard,
maybe in 300 years time someone might dig them up and call them historic.

 

They're no good at all when they're discolored like this. By all means...stay away from them!

 

I'm sorry. That last post was a tongue in cheek response. Some of us coin peeps are kooky like that.

If coins have the right kind of toning, they can sell for huge premiums. But it's usually more collectable, rare or esoteric series that command high prices when they're toned. Yours, being fairly high mintage modern coins with minimal toning probably won't sell for much more than face value.

The coin I put in the previous post, is the kind of toning on a coin that some advanced collectors will pay big bucks for.

 

If people would 'stay away' from more coins like the coin you posted, Race, it'd make it ALOT easier to get them much cheaper, and I WOULD add toners to my collection...but.....NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!! (I'm sure your post was taken VERY tongue-in-cheek, with a coin like THAT beauty!). I'm going to assume that belongs to you, Race? No matter who it belongs to, it really is a beauty, and I'm not normally a fan of 'tarnished' coins (I'm a blast white fan, as I kinda alluded to), but those blues/light-purples are just gorgeous, and I love that look..... and I very rarely say that about toned coins!

 

How exactly does toning happen? I have always wondered that but never really found an answer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Toning is just tarnish. The metal in the coins oxidize (and in the case of silver, needs hydrogen sulfide to tarnish, which is in the air in small traces, but more likely in things like the paper that is close to your coins, but I digress...). Ever have a silver necklace tarnish? Or silverware? Same thing. You polish it off on jewelry and silverware, but doing so on coins can diminish the value. Coin collectors blithely refer to it as toning, but its all just tarnish.

 

How wrong you are, aesthetically. Beautiful toning is art, and if you don't see it, so sorry. People are paying money for what they like. I don't love "blast white" coins from the 1800s, as they are so obviously dipped.

 

I am not wrong. You can call it toning all you like, but its tarnish. If you happen to find it pretty, fine. But to pretend toning is not tarnish is disingenuous. Its like me calling the rust on my car "beauty marks". I may love it, but so what, its still rust.

And, the poster's question was "how does toning happen", so I answered it. She didn't ask if it was pretty, nor did I say that there are not collectors that pay big premiums for it. Learn to read.

 

Correct. You are not wrong and toning is in fact nothing more than tarnish.
However in some cases, its tarnish and oxidation in the same manner that Arches National Park is nothing more than wind damage (erosion).

 

Good analogy.

 

It doesn't really matter but I'm a male. Haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

In your mind, you are not wrong. So, enjoy the absolute supremacy of your own opinions with regard to toning. We are all wrong, and you are right-- it is just tarnish. So, that is one fewer collector competing with me for "tarnished" coins.

 

Are you being intentionally obtuse? It is quite literally tarnish. It can range from ugly, disfiguring, and corroding to ethereal, transformational, and breathtaking, but you know full well it is tarnish. Call it toning all you want, but don't deny the tarnish!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Are you being intentionally insulting? Like everybody else, I know what the chemical reaction is--but don't accept your aesthetic evaluation."Tarnish" is a denigrating term for the chemical reaction that causes the multicolored gems that often sell for more than most collectors can afford, who criticize said coins. Please refrain from name calling, as it doesn't do anything to add to the discussion.

 

I don't know if this can be called a discussion. Perhaps just agree to disagree - you both know the chemical reaction and how it occurs.

 

Very nice toning.