Why are toned coins so popular?

Unless I missed something, the TPGS's never said their slabs were airtight. IN FACT THEY SAID THEY AREN'T. The seal isn't for that purpose. It's designed to be tamper-evident, that's all.

 

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In fact, if they were, any time the coins were carried in the cargo hold of an airplane they'd be subjected to several pounds of pressure pushing the two halves apart. Over time, I'd expect plenty of failures.

 

The higher you go the less air pressure you encounter. If you mean that the Argon gas pressure would pop them open, they would have to be pressurized at higher levels than I intended. I'm just talking about sealing them in low pressure Argon. I think acrylic can withstand the ratio of P1(V1) = P2(V2) of even at 1 ATM pressure of Argon. Am I wrong, been awhile since I had to remember Boyles law.

 

Good to know, thanks Kurt.

 

The real problem in proving that rainbow toned coins are stable if stored properly is being able to find a photograph that is over a decade old. I found another Morgan Dollar that I purchased from Heritage in 2002.



And here are my photos a decade later in 2012.



I have plenty of coins that I purchased 5-10 years ago if you want to see some more examples of toning stability.

 

Believe it or not, this Butterfinger Bronze toned 1990 P MS-64 (or better) Washington Quarter I found the day after it came out of a mint set at the bank; My friend & I had a bet going that the acids from a Butterfinger Candy Bar could tarnish the quarter over a period of time. I won the bet after 25 years.

Butterfinger-Bronze dull chocolate color stained. by ACoinJob posted Jan 26, 2017 at 5:46 PM

Special edition Quarter. by ACoinJob posted Jan 26, 2017 at 5:52 PM

 

The "other" problem seems to be matching the exposures. These pairs don't look the same, but by comparing the label printing, the exposure is revealed to be the issue.

 

I'm with you Sakata, I don't like toned coins either, I'd rather they look new with lots of shine. And you're right, they do look disfigured.

 

Why are women with a great tan so popular?

 

Are you saying you can't get past the difference in photographic quality to examine whether or not the toning has changed in any significant way?

Here is what I'm saying. I owned the coin for over a decade. Any change in toning on this coin was imperceptible to me when I sold it.

 

I agree that these particular type of toners are quite stable - good ol' fashioned regular canvas-toned Morgans. Anything else? Yeah, not s'much. Coppers/bronzers? Hardly at all.

 

Lehigh, you seem to pop in to CT only on occasion these days. I go through phases myself.

I'd like to tell you your Toning Premium Thread of some years ago was one of the most enjoyable and educational I've come across on CT. Initially I was skeptical of toners and had made a dismissive comment or two reflecting this but as I learned more about the nuance of toning I really began to appreciate it. I came to really enjoy the longevity of that thread and the variety contained within it. So, thanks.

And my experience can speak to the theme floating through this thread that taste is subjective ("vanilla or chocolate"): it is, but our taste can also evolve through education and exposure, just as it does with dining, music, art, etc.

 

Yes, I already agreed that copper/bronze coinage is not stable with respect to color. The coins I'm talking about are silver or nickel (copper-nickel). And it is in these groups that the majority of toning premiums are paid.

 

I have slabbed silver dollars that ALSO aren't stable. They are not rainbows, though. Roll end toning that still advances inside the slab. The toning's on the reverse only and is pretty uniform across the face of the coin.

 

I think you demonstrated it as well as one could, Lehigh. One takes care of these, and they'll hold their tarnish for a time. One can't retard the tarnish forever, however, and that's all this is, tarnish.

 

Don't you suppose that stems from some material that's transferred from the roll onto the coin, where it sits and continues to react?

I wonder if careful rinsing in water and/or acetone and/or xylene would prevent that further advance?

 

You got Boyle's Law correct, but if you pressurized them at higher levels, it would be worse. As you go up the outside pressure decreases so the interior pressure of an Argon sealed capsule would go up to higher levels and cause the capsule to explode easier. Reminds me of driving to a campground which was at 7,000 feet from essentially sea level. The pops we heard out of the back was bags of potato chips exploding.

 

The newest PCGS are supposed to be water proof, clearly not air tight but the closest we have at the moment. I doubt we ever see a true airtight in our lifetime

 

I'm not at all sure it's even something we should be seeking.