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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;kaparthy, post: 2384354, member: 57463&quot;]Toning is chemistry. The silver or copper in the coin reacts with sulphur in the environment. &quot;Artificial&quot; toning (so-called) is often applied to coins to hide defects that would deny the coin a high Mint State grade. Proper re-toning is just conservatorship, returning a coin to a more natural appearance after uncalled-for cleaning.</p><p><br /></p><p>While silver does react with many other elements and compounds, the most common toning results from interactions with sulphur. You can buy sulphur in 50-kg lots from Fisher Scientific and other sources.&nbsp; Mix some of the powder with petroleum jelly (&quot;Vaseline&quot; brand, for example) for easy application to the surface of a coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>You can achieve similar (though unpredictable) results from burying a coin in cooked cauliflower or cooked egg whites. (I got stunning &quot;champagne blue&quot; from cauliflower.)</p><p><br /></p><p>An interesting interaction comes with iodine.&nbsp; Tincture of iodine applied to a harshly-cleaned silver coin renders the surface flat gray. With 19th century British sterling and ancient Roman and Greek issues the result can be&nbsp; pleasant to the eye.</p><p><br /></p><p>Of course, results vary. If you do not like what you got, clean the coin with baking soda and start over.&nbsp; And, of course, never, ever, ever do any of this with a coin that is truly uncirculated.</p><p><br /></p><p>Understand that while silver can turn nice colors, copper usually just turns black. Sometimes you get better outcomes. It just depends on the coin.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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