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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Richard M. Renneboog, post: 2851263, member: 89693&quot;]Okay, there is something that you have all neglected to consider, and before you question what I am about to tell you please bear in mind that I am a Master organic chemist and I know what I am talking about. Air-tight does not mean chemical-free. All of the plastics used to seal coins and other such items from the atmosphere expose those same items to the chemical composition of the plastic material itself. So-called &#039;vinyl&#039; is correctly named polyvinylchloride, made by polymerizing vinyl chloride. That plastic very naturally contains chlorine in its molecular structure, and that is capable of reacting with metals of all kinds, including coins. The result is that the coin surfaces begin to tarnish from the moment they come into contact with the plastic. Other plastics such as lucite are also capable of undergoing very slow reactions with metals. Any polyester plastic, for example, is formed ostensibly from the reaction of an acid and an alcohol. More usually, however, the reaction occurs between an acid chloride and an alcohol. In the former case water is formed as a by-product of the reaction, and in the latter case it is hydrogen chloride (commonly known as hydrochloric acid). While the residual amounts of these materials that may actually be present in the plastic are very small, they are nevertheless present, and over time they will cause tarnishing of any metals that are in contact with them. So, the short answer is yes, your coins will tarnish, or tone, over time when stored in plastic air-tites, slabs, or whatever, and there ain&#039;t a darned thing you can do about it.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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