Back when I first became interested in coin collecting around 1997 I picked up a 1950 D Jefferson nickel in MS65 in a 2X2 holder at a coin show. I placed it in my collection, still in the same 2x2, where it sat for the past 12 years. I really hadn't looked at it since then. Last week I noticed that it had toned significantly. It has a nice rainbow tone to it that I'm pretty sure was NOT there when I originally purchased it. Is it possible that this Jefferson has toned over the past years or is it more likely that I simply overlooked the toning when I first bought it?
Toning, especially on a Jefferson nickel is not something that you generally overlook. I guess, you can argue that you were so focused on the details of the coin that you didn't see the toning, but this is usually one of the first things I look at. As for the coin toning over the years....absolutely!!! It probably did. Lehigh is our resident toned nickel expert, but as a Jefferson nickel collector myself, I can tell you that it definitely does happen. And when it results in terrific colors, it can be quite rewarding. Much of type of toning and the degree of toning can be controlled as to how the coin is stored and in what environment the coin is stored in. Post some pics, we would love to see some!!!
12 years? Absolutely. I've seen coins tone in less time than that. It really depends on the type of environment the coin was stored in. Sulfurous paper, heat, and humidity all contribute to toning. Neutral paper, cool temperatures, and dry air all contribute to coins retaining their current state of surface preservation. In what type of environment were they stored? In any case, if the toning is attractive and didn't occur too rapidly, you've probably realized a significant increase in your initial investment. Nicely-toned Jefferson nickels can bring a large percentage increase over normal value. Can you post pictures for us?
I've got a 2003 Arkansas Quarter I bought out of the roll for my states quarter set. In just 4 years it went from blast white to cobalt blue and purple.
i have posted a 2003 ase only just the other day. the 2x2 that you had it in might be a part of the toning and the staples on the 2x2 would not help . just my op dave
Thanks for the comments! I will try to post pics. I bought this coin when I was 16 years old and I stored it in an ammo can. For those of you unfamiliar with ammo cans they are steel cans with a rubber seal that makes a "decent" seal. I did not have any sort of desiccant in the can at the time because I didn't know any better. I live in south Louisiana where the humidity rarely drops below 80%, so I am sure that it experienced high humidity for these 12 years. I will try to take pictures with my Sony digital camera tomorrow, but I don't think that will do the job. I'm going to contact a guy from one of my other forums who is a professional photographer and see if he can take some quality pics. I wouldn't say that this Jefferson is a "monster" but it has a beautiful rainbow tone that is quite uniform. I am still certain that this nickel did not have any toning back when I bought it in 1997.
"Is it possible to see tone change in 12 years?" It's possible to see toning change in 12 days let alone 12 years. It all depends on the conditions of storage.
Guess by now you have realized that toning on a coin is pending on the location, temperature, humidity invironment, type of air present, etc. Even inside a 2x2, toning can happen since a 2x2 is really not air tight. In almost every instance a 2x2 is stapled on 3 or 4 sides. If you place your mouth to one of the opening sides of any 2x2 that is stapled and blow, you would notice the air from your breath goes in and out. Not really air tight you know.
Here are some pics I took of the coin. As is common, the scanner didn't capture the crimson red very well. If you look by the 50 in 1950 that is pretty much the coin's tone. Its a yellowish orange closer to the center and appears to become more crimson/red near the edges. The edges are quite nice! The very center is almost untoned on both sides. On some pics you will notice a little paper tab, I used this to create a slight angle on the holder so a better scan might be made possible. I am almost positive that this coin was pretty much blast white when I bought it. The pics also show something interesting on the steps right above the I in Monticello. I can't tell if it is a die chip or a bad bag mark. Maybe someone here can tell.
To my eye, that's pleasant toning, and a nice coin. A bit of a weak strike, but so many 1950-D nickels were. That's probably a nasty cut on the steps, but could be something else. Overall, appears to be a nice coin.
I did look at the steps a bit more last night under my 10X loupe and it does appear to be a cut or bag impact mark. When I get a chance I'll look at it again with my 100X microscope and get a much better look. I'm also going to play around with my scanner custom settings and try to get a better representation of the toning. Like I said earlier, this scan does no justice to the color of the toning. If you can see the toning around the 0 in 1950 and imagine that color all around the edges then you will get a better idea of the true beauty of the tone.
