I got this Thrace, Abdera coin about three years ago....ex Forvm, ex maridvnvm. The first photo was taken not long after it arrived. I was re-shooting some coins and after shooting this one I was surprised at how it has toned. I didn't do any cleaning to it or anything else. It was just put away sitting a tray.
Wow that impressive. The toning really draws the all the attention to the bust. What more could you want.
that was my question as well, is the toning that pronounced in hand doucet? have you viewed it regularly over the last three years? interesting indeed!
I checked the date on the first photo and actually it was four years ago 2011 (time flies). I guess I looked at it twice in 2013, March and September. At that time I didn't notice, but it looks like the toning had begun. Here are those photos. All the photos are in natural light.
I have a question more about coins that do not tone than those that do. Some (few?) of you recall silverware that was silver (not stainless) and grandma had to use silver polish to remove tarnish. Silver tarnishes. I have several silver coins that are darker now than when they joined my collection. I also have some that are bright and white as new that have spent the last decade or two in the same containers. Why? How? Are some coins cleaned with an anti-tarnish solution? Bought from NFA over 25 years ago and still bright and shiny as it was then:
The presence of certain elements in small amounts could explain the relative lack of tarnish. For instance, a small amount of Germanium can retard the formation of tarnish. Perhaps some of these old alloys contained such elements.
Black trays from I J S ...Indian Jewelers Supply. I thought about the tray having something to do with it, but as dougsmit has said not all silver oxidizes the same. Maybe it's the alloy of the ancient silver in relation to the current atmospheric conditions that it is exposed to? I have a Hadrian Africa that's been in the same type of tray for about the same amount of time. All it has done is get darker than when I first got it, I think. I better check it today when it gets light. I'll also check the Abdera in hand. if I can. With my eyes I have to hold it back about a foot and a half just to see it and it's a pretty small coin.
I inherited my Granny's silver (God rest her sweet soul) ... and I was blown away by how quickly it tarnishes!! (when we ate Christmas dinners at Granny's place, the silver was gleaming!! ... gleaming, I tell you!!) => gawd, she must have been a work-horse, for that stuff seems to tarnish just enough between the big holidays to make it a pain in the ass!! oops Hey, there is nuthin' wrong with serving Thanksgiving dinnner on stone-wear and brushed steel utensils, is there? (oh, in case you dudes have lost track => it's Canadian Thanksgiving!! => cheers!!!) But yes, Doug is amazingly correct (as always) => silver fricken tarnishes, so if your coins are exposed to "the air" then I would fully expect them to be turnin' colour!! (I love toned coins!!)
