I went to my local jewelry store where I have been buying silver coins and got a few nice pieces. I bought 632 silver dimes, which had some very nice coins mixed in. They cost me $2 a piece. Here are my favorites. Dates and MM from left to right: 1883 - 1891 O - 1894 - 1898 O - 1916 - 1918 - 1920 - 1926 S - 1928 S - 1944 - 1957 - 1963 - 1964 The pictures don't capture some of the toning.
I did an experiment this week doing the boiled egg trick on a nearly worthless silver coin. My advice? You better babysit that thing or you'll be dipping it again and starting over.
I used to look thru the junk silver when I was really young. Everything was sold for 2.5 times face value. There were always young folks looking thru the piles for coins to go into their sets. At those prices they could afford to collect. I'll guess the shops charge 20 times face now.
20x face is generally what I pay, although the way silver is going may change that. I am guessing that the times you are talking about, the dollar was much stronger. It is hard to touch silver dollars for under $30 and even halves hardly are found (by me) at $10 a piece.
Me neither. I have heard that the sulfur in an egg will quickly tone silver. I have wondered if a harshly cleaned coin could be somewhat improved with such a method (fully acknowledging that it is still a damaged coin).
I did not "cook" the coin. Look up the process on YouTube. I chose to do this to it because it was a semi key date in AU condition, but looked like some idiot had lightly cleaned it. It should get a details grade if I am right. But the toning didn't turn out badly the second time, but only left it in the sulfur witches brew for 20 minutes the second time. I just got back from a coin show and submitted 50 coins to ANACS. Their representative at their booth was very knowledgeable, based on conversations he had with other submitters. I asked to to look at this coin and get his opinion as to how beat up it was. He told me, "really not too bad. It has some interesting toning that gives it great eye appeal". So we'll see in a couple of months when it comes back.
