I have a MS morgan dollar that has clean fileds, clean check & great white luster. Both the obverse & reverse look wonderful, but the rim and edges are a very dark color. Does this mean this morgan has been cleaned or dipped? Can just the edges of a coin tone and not the faces? I love this coin & I do not care even if it has been doctored, but I would like to know for future purchases. Thanks in advance for any insight one might have here! I tried my best to get some pics taken, but the toning would not show up...
It is hard to give an opinion without seeing a coin, but if the dark area around the rim is inside and around the legend and between the denticles, it is probably dirt that couldn't be removed without overdipping the coin. Chris
Generally speaking, the edges of the coin will tone before the obv or rev faces since, in a coin album, the edge is in contact with the paper which may have sulphur contaminents in it. The longer the coin is in the album, the more tarnish os produced working its way IN towards the center of the coin. The alternative to this is a coin in an original mint bag that had the entire obv or rev face in contact with the bags cloth.
Coins stored in rolls will also experience toning on the edges without toning the obverse or reverse of the coin as well
