Did This Album Ruin My Pennies?

That was my first reaction as well. I think they are beautifully toned. PVC, at least not yet that I can see.

I'm not a big fan of toned coins but those look really great. You mentioned some were sticky so take the Acetone advise to remove whatever that was. Not sure of that brand but sounds like the glue that they used to put the album together was absorbing moisture and this is what is effecting your coins.


ABSOLUTELY NOT. In fact if you go to ebay you would see coins like yours selling for more due to that toning. Also, there are Toned Coin web sites for people that just love toning on coins.
Almost makes one think you should keep placing coins in that Album to produce more and more toned coins. As I said I'm not a big fan of toned coins but those would sell for a lot more than if not toned.

I love the toning! Many folks will pay a nice premium for those.

biokemist6 is exactly right. It takes about 10 years to darken copper and bronze coins held in 2x2 cardboard holders which are kept in clear PVC album pages. If you just put unprotected coins direct into PVC pockets in an an album, the coins will darken even more quickly.

That's one sort of patination you DO NOT want. The resulting overall effect is to have album full of very dark metallic disks. Unpleasing.

Keep your 2x2's in album pages that are NOT made of clear PVC. Such albums are more expensive to buy, but are worth it. If you have say 300 or so coins in an album with coins at a value of say $5 each, that's a $1500 dollar investment you are trying to protect.

Oops, I don't think I finished my post I did not mean to imply that your coins are ruined, it looks like you might have saved them in time. I have seen numerous Lincolns that have been ruined by old Coinmaster albums(the newer ones are safe) and it is not a pretty sight A sticky film on the coin is one of the first signs of PVC residue and it will eventually develop into corrosive green slime. When you pull an affected coin out of a PVC page, the coin will leave a green ring where the plastic was in contact with the rim. For anyone not familiar with this type of album- http://www.brent-krueger.com/harcopages.html

One basic rule of thumb- if it smells like a cheap shower curtain, it almost certainly contains PVC.

Thanks Carl, I will definitely be careful when I rinse these.
I sure don't want to damage them in any way.
I am also enjoying looking at each one to see what toning has developed. All my pennies from 1958 to 1982 are like this.

In some older dutch albums without place for 2x2 holders, there was only the option to put in a coin directly without any protection. And after a long time it would get green of collor, especially the edges (which is strange since they not necessarily touch the plastic)

When you get the coin out and touch it with your fingers, or clean them (as a test, I know it's taboo) there would get a patina like collor on the coin. It's like a sort of greasy substance which ruined a lot of people's coin collections who started back in the days, and open the albums now!

Sometimes when I buy coins on the net, and they get home... I can see inmediatly they were in and older album!
I think it's personal opinion wether you find this annoying or not, I rather avoid it and don't put any of my coins in see through plastic albums without a holder. Rather put them loose in 2x2 holder or selfmade ones from wrapping papers :)