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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2118242, member: 19463&quot;]It is not &#039;natural&#039; for metals to exist as pure elements.&nbsp; They tend to combine with something in the air or air itself to form compounds.&nbsp; We strike pennies in bright shiny copper but after a short while they turn a darker brown color through a series of degrees so the outer layer is Copper oxide or something else.&nbsp; This outer layer protects the coin from further deterioration to a degree and does not harm the coin.&nbsp; Harm comes when you decide to remove this outer protective shell.&nbsp; That reduces the weight of the coin minutely but exposes the inner metal to the elements so the toning process must start again.&nbsp; Great grandma polished her silverware regularly and removed a little silver each time while removing the silver compounds she called tarnish.&nbsp; In time after many cycles of tarnish and clean, the silver was lighter and less crisply detailed.&nbsp; &nbsp; Coins work the same way.&nbsp; We are better off if a thin layer of protection forms on our bright coins and stays there protecting the metal from other bad elements.&nbsp; Damage comes more when it is removed than when it forms.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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