I have a question about 3 coins: a MS-65 walking liberty half dollar, MS-66 texas half dollar, and an 1886 morgan, all in TPG holders. All of them look like they are starting to tone. When I hold them at an angle and shine a flashlight on them, there appears to be a chaulky, hazy brownish yellowish greenish color substance on the surface. When I use a loope, it doesn't appear that it's a coating that can just come off, or something just stuck to the coin, it appears to be how the metal is. Also, the walking liberty has "streaks" running across the surface that look like the usual, natural color of the coin, in between the color described above. Is this just the beginning of toning, or something else?
The first two look like they might have a PVC film on them. I could be completely wrong though, so wait to see what others have to say.
Looks like toning on all of them to me. But based on your question it seems that is something that you should be aware of, that being that every coin there is, is toned to at least some degree. This is because every coin there is begins to tone the very moment it leaves the dies. From that point on the toning continues, it never stops. It is merely a matter of degree.
I wouldn't so much say they're beginning to tone as I would they are toned coins. They began to tone in 1936, 1947, and 1886. The pattern on the reverse of the 1947 half looks like what you'd get from the coin being in a Whitman album for a while
If it's toning then it was there all along. If you never noticed this before, ie it for sure just started developing after you bought them, then I'd suspect something else. If the situation is the latter, my first guess is PVC. I've seen silver coins in old 2 by 2s with PVC in them and they had an appearance like these coins - that chalky, brown-greenish color that mostly came off when I applied acetone. My next guess would be incorrect dipping. Were these three coins purchased together? Stored together? If not, what about your other coins?
I bought all the coins already in slabs. I have had the Morgan since 1997, and the other two since last month. The Morgan, I have watched tone since 1997, but I guess I never noticed the substance. The other two, I noticed it right away. Thank yall for pointing out that all coins are toned. I should have been aware of that. Hopefully all of them are just toned, and no pvc residue. When viewed straight on, the Texas half dollar and the morgan do look like they are toned, and don't look chaulky. The walking liberty has luster, but the substance is noticeable.
Yeah, likely toning then. If you noticed it right away with the other two, they were probably like that then to begin with when graded. And as far as I know the TPGs wouldn't grade coins with PVC damage (heavy or otherwise). I've seem silver coins in those cello packs with weird colored haze, and I think there's no PVC in them
