Toning Colors? - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 1,601
BuffalosRock Pillar of the Community United States 500 Posts	Posted 05/03/2013 5:00 pm What makes the different metals tone? I'm more of a blast white fan, but my gem buffs have such diverse toning colors. Some gold, others blue, others purple. I don't mind it on buffs so much but some silver coins tone fugly. Many seem to pay a huge premium for rainbow toned large silver coins. Seems so random! Blue toning is my favorite I guess. Report this Post to the Staff

nalaberong Pillar of the Community Canada 2805 Posts	Posted 05/03/2013 6:06 pm Silver is toned by sulfur in the air. Copper is toned by oxygen. I'm not sure what makes other common coinage metals tone, but both titanium and aluminium react with oxygen very quickly - the oxide produced is strong and transparent, though, so there's no visible difference. Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 16832 Posts	Posted 05/03/2013 8:23 pm The different colours of toning are caused by the thin film effect - the same thing that causes rainbow colours to appear on oil slicks and soap bubbles. As the oxide/sulfide layer gets thicker over time, the colours change. The order of progression is the same as a "normal" rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue. But for silver and copper coins, the next colour after blue is black, because the layer becomes too thick to transmit light. That's when the "toning" unquestionably becomes "tarnish". Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis Report this Post to the Staff
NathanASE Pillar of the Community United States 1511 Posts	Posted 05/03/2013 8:38 pm with the above. For silver, the amount and concentration of sulfur will determine the colors the coin turns out. I'm one of the ones who prefers and will often pay a premium for a nicely toned coin.. Especially on silver, lol, more specifically Morgan's. But not nasty, dirty looking toning, I like the colors. To me toning is a completely natural thing to happen to a coin, obviously I steer away from artificially toned coins but prefer my coins to be naturally toned. If you like blue here's some eye candy for you, lol. She's a 1887 PCGS MS-64 green beaned (CAC sticker) but I think she looks more like a 65 to be honest.. Anyways, one of my favorite toners in my Morgan collection, and yes, the blue and red are that vibrant in hand from all angles and all light, just a beautiful coin! And an ANACS 1883-CC DMPL toner (I'm not going to say the grade because I want to post it in the grading section). This one and the other one are by far my two favorite Morgan's in my collection.. to date at least, lol. Report this Post to the Staff
just carl Bedrock of the Community United States 20753 Posts	Posted 05/03/2013 8:44 pm Toning is sort of part of chrytalology or the schience of crystals. As most metals combine with gasses or even liquids, they become a sort of new substance. For example the metal Sodium when combining with the gas Chlorine, becomes a new substance called Salt, table Salt or Sodium Chloride. When Copper combines with Oxigen it also changes to a darker Brown color but when that combines with Sulfur and there is moisture present, a Bluish Chrystal is formed called Copper Sulfate and it is completely Blue. The Copper color and the Yellowish color of the Sulfur are now a Blue substance. As well with Silver as it combines with many different gasses, the Silver that has combined with a gass, now changes to a new color. Silver readily combines with many other substances such as Oxygen, Iodine, Nitrates, etc. Each new substance, or compound, then tends to form different colors. Report this Post to the Staff
Keatsian New Member United States 23 Posts	Posted 05/07/2013 10:42 pm Current auction for Morgan on Teletrade. Beautiful blue toning!: http://teletrade.com/coins/lot.asp?...429&lot=2095 Report this Post to the Staff
bill_ocnj New Member United States 19 Posts	Posted 05/08/2013 9:25 pm excellent posts you guys really know you stuff !! very interesting thanks bill Report this Post to the Staff
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