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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Lehigh96, post: 511611, member: 15309&quot;]That is not entirely correct.&nbsp; Coins are dipped to remove toning.&nbsp; Toning is not a &quot;chemically altering substance&quot;.&nbsp; It is the result of a chemical reaction (oxidation) of the coin surface with a reacting agent.&nbsp; In the case of silver, it is sulfur that reacts with the silver to create a layer of silver sulfide on the surface of the coin.&nbsp; Essentially, toning is corrosion.&nbsp; In the beginning stages the silver sulfide layer in various thickness levels creates a rainbow effect.&nbsp; If unchecked, the silver sulfide layer will increase in thickness over time until the coin is black.&nbsp; Once this stage is reached, the only way to help the coin is to dip the coin and completely remove the silver sulfide layer from the surface of the coin.&nbsp; It is true that you will lose some silver and it is true that you may reveal scars that the extensive toning has left on the surface of the coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>However, the main purposes of dipping a coin is to improve the visual appearance (eye appeal) and stabilize the coin surface (stop corrosion).&nbsp; The draw back is that in the process you can ruin the luster by overdipping the coin thereby eliminating the flow lines that create the luster in the first place.&nbsp; But I ask you, have you ever seen a black toned coin.&nbsp; You can&#039;t see the luster anyway due to the thickness of the toning.&nbsp; A black toning layer will severely mute the luster of the coin.&nbsp; So if the luster is already gone, what is the harm in dipping the coin?</p><p><br /></p><p>Before you answer that question, remember that there is no bigger toning freak on this board than me.&nbsp; My point is that there are definitely times that dipping a coin is appropriate and necessary.&nbsp; To believe otherwise is IMO, naive.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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